Inherited Nightmares
by Kaneko Aikawa
Summary: Sequel to Incomplete Sorrows- Ryuichi Kurosaki had just graduated from the Academy and been assigned to his father's Division. He'll go through many challenges from here, including being targeted by an old enemy who is after..his hollow powers? Read on!
1. The New Recruits

**Author's Note:** Hi everyone, here is the first chapter of much awaited sequel of Incomplete Sorrows, Inherited Nightmares. It follows the struggles and the triumphs of a grown up Ryuichi Kurosaki as he tries to impress his father.

In case you should know, this takes place 3 years after the encore chat. Throughout the past 15 years from where we left off at the end of Incomplete Sorrows, things had been at a standstill since Aizen had fled and no one will know when he will make his move. However, there had been quite a few changes in rank throughout the years. Here is a list of the Gotei 13 in this story:

**1st Division:**

**_Captain – _**Yamamoto Genyruu-Sai

**_Lieutenant – _**Sasakibe Choujirou

**2nd Division:**

**_Captain –_** Soi Fon

**_Lieutenant – _**Marechyo Omaeda

**3rd Division:**

**_Captain – _**Renji Abarai

**_Lieutenant – _**Yachiru Kusajishi

**4th Division:**

**_Captain _**– Unohana Retsu

**_Lieutenant – _**Isane Kotetsu

**5th Division:**

**_Captain _**– Ichigo Kurosaki

**_Lieutenant _**– Rukia Kuchiki

**6th Division:**

**_Captain: _**Byakuya Kuchiki

**_Lieutenant: _**Rikichi (the shinigami that idolizes Renji)

**7th Division:**

**_Captain: _**Komamura Saijin

**_Lieutenant:_** Tetsuzaemon Iba

**8th Division:**

**_Captain: _**Kyouraku Shunsui

**_Lieutenant_**: Nanao Ise

**9th Division:  
**

**_Captain: _**Hisagi Shuheii

**_Lieutenant:_** Tatsuki Arisawa

**10th Division:**

**_Captain: _**Hitsugaya Toshirou

**_Lieutenant: _**Matsumoto Rangiku

**11th Division:**

**_Captain:_** Zaraki Kenpachi

**_Lieutenant:_** Ikkaku Madarame

**12th Division:**

**_Captain: _**Urahara Kisuke

**_Lieutenant:_** Nemu Kurotsuchi

**13th Division:**

**_Captain: _**Ukitake Juushirou

**_Third Seat Officers_**: Kyone Kotetsu and Sentarou Kotsubaki

Things may be happy in this chapter somewhat but in later chapters, there will be real challenges for the main protagonist of this story and, as always, for his father. There will also be a couple of original characters that belong to my friend.

With all that said, I bring to you the first chapter of…Inherited Nightmares!

* * *

_**Chapter 1: The New Recruits**_

Sereitei – Court of Pure Souls – was serene and peaceful as its inhabitants carried on with their usual tasks. Shinigami left and right patrolled the streets and chatted with each other about their missions and days of work. Even the captains and their lieutenants were busy with their usual paperwork, especially one certain orange-haired captain and his petite, lieutenant wife.

Ichigo and Rukia had been happily married for 13 long years, and with two children – a hyperactive, bunny-loving little girl who was currently in the care of her aunts and an ambitious, teen-aged son – they had never been happier. For most of their marriage, they had been running the 5th division as its captain and lieutenant and were very respected in every conceivable way.

Hinamori Momo, the former lieutenant of that division, enjoyed her third seat position more than her previous one. What was even more enjoyable for her was that she got to work under a captain who was far respectful to her and honest with her than Aizen Sousuke was. Ichigo would even allow her to visit the memorial cenotaph in honour of her late boyfriend, Kira Izuru.

On this day, Rukia and Ichigo were doing their paperwork together side-by-side, conversing contently with each other and only stopping to embrace each other for a passionate kiss. Little did they know that someone was racing through the streets of Seireitei with excellent news to pass onto them.

Rushing excitedly through passing souls, a young shinigami made his way through the maze that covered most of Sereitei to find his parents and tell them the excellent news.

Ryuichi Kurosaki – a new recruit in his mid-teens – had just graduated from the Shinigami Academy after 2 years of attending there. Ever since his father told him stories of his adventures, it had always been the young boy's ambition to be just like him, a captain of a squad. Prior to enrolling at the academy, Ryuichi had under gone intense training with his father – martial arts, swordplay, reflexes. Ichigo was very proud of his son for how quickly he pulled everything off.

_Now dad is going to be even more proud of me_, the young shinigami thought with a smirk as he swiftly turned around another corner. He did not see a former classmate as he accidentally bumped into her.

Meanwhile, very close by, a brother and sister walked silently together down a marble road – their respective swords sheathed at their sides. They were among the newest recruits to the Fifth Division of the Gotei 13, and they were anxious to meet their new leaders and start a new life within their respective division.

Suddenly, a blur nearly knocked them over. "Sorry!" The person shouted to them as he rounded the corner of the street.

The sister growled as her brother narrowed his eyes nonchalantly. "God, watch where you're going!" She hissed at her classmate.

"Easy, Ruby," her brother mumbled in a monotone voice, "people like that aren't clearly worth our time. Now come on, our new division is waiting."

Elsewhere, Ryuichi rubbed his neck embarrassingly as he continued running.

Back at the academy, he and Ruby Carmine were considered as rivals. Well, only Ruby considered him as such. As an addition to that, she would often get mad at the young Kurosaki for the littlest things, blaming him for her mistakes and for getting in her way. In turn, Ryuichi would just laugh at her, mocking her by saying that she is jealous of the fact that he is better than her. Jade Carmine, Ruby's brother, would stand off to the side and roll his eyes coldly, reminding his sister that minor annoyances such as Ryuichi were a waste of space and she should not waste her breath arguing with such a nuisance.

* * *

Inside the 5th Division Barracks office, Ichigo opened the blinds to shed light into the office room, smiling at the outside atmosphere that surrounded the headquarters. "Nice day, huh, Rukia?" He asked as he walked back to his desk.

"It sure is," his wife replied as she sat on his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck, tenderly kissing his lips. Her husband wrapped his hands around her waste in response and deepened the kiss. They could barely hear the voices that were telling someone to stop entering the office.

"Dad! Mom! Guess what?" Ryuichi ran in and his parents broke their kiss immediately.

"Ryuichi, you're not supposed to be here," Ichigo warned, "you do realize that this is your mother's and my office and we are busy here."

His son just rolled his eyes, but his excitement returned when he announced, "Guess what? I graduated! I'm now a full-fledged shinigami now!"

Ichigo smiled with pride and Rukia got off of her husband's lap to give her son a hug. "Oh Ryuichi, I'm so proud of you!"

"What divison did they assign you to?" Ichigo asked, "and if possible, what seat?"

Ryuichi beamed with pride as he answered, "5th, Dad, and because of my skills and talents, 5th seat."

"Then it looks like you're going to have to address me as captain from now on, son," Ichigo said, smirking.

"I'm still going to call you Dad, Dad," Ryuichi came back with a laugh.

Rukia laughed as well. "He sure reminds me of someone, Ichigo."

However, Ichigo was serious when his smirk turned into a scowl. "Yeah, well, you're still going to address me as captain when you're in these premises, since you are my subordinate now, as well as my son. Is that understood?"

Ryuichi rolled his eyes. "Oh come on, Dad, do I have to?"

"Yes, you do, but hey you are still my son. Got it?"

Sighing, Ryuichi just nodded, and his father ruffled his hair. "Now then, I guess I have to introduce you to the rest of the division, and then you need to do the next part of your training."

"What part may that be?"

"Figuring out the name of your zampakutou, of course."

Anger and frustration showed in the younger shinigami's eyes. "How the hell am I supposed to do that?"

Ichigo eyed his son warningly. "Language, Ryuichi."

Sighing, the teen-ager repeated, "How am I supposed to figure out the name of my zampakutou?"

"That you need to figure out on your own."

Then he called for Hinamori to come into his office. The 3rd seat, her office next to her captain and lieutenant's office, rushed in immediately. "Yes, Kurosaki-Taichou sir, you need something?" Then she noticed Ryuichi standing there. "Oh hi, Ryuichi, glad to see you here," she beamed in greeting as the boy just smiled shyly. He had a slight crush on her since just recently, but he knew that he could not have her since what he had heard of her late boyfriend who was killed in the last war.

Ichigo cleared his throat as his 3rd seat stood at attention. "I want you to send hell butterflies to the rest of the members of our division and have them come to headquarters immediately."

Hinamori nodded and asked, "What would be the reason, sir? I don't mean to question your orders or anything."

Ichigo smiled and rested his hand on his son's shoulder. "Just tell them that I am going to introduce a new recruit, well Rukia and I will anyway."

"There are other new recruits to our division as well," Hinamori corrected, "or so I've heard."

Ryuichi looked at her puzzled. Ichigo nodded in understanding. "How many?"

"Two, I think," Hinamori trailed off. "They should be on their way here."

"Very well then," Ichigo said, nodding some more, "tell the members of our division that there will be an introductory meeting for some new recruits."

Hinamori beamed and nodded. "Right away sir!" She ran out of the room to do her task.

"So I guess the paperwork will wait, Taichou?" Rukia asked and her husband nodded. "It is important that the members within our division will get to know our newest members right away." Rukia nodded in understanding, as Ryuichi just stared at them.

_So this is how my dad is; I thought that he would be pleased but he is more inclined about his work, _He thought, _I know that he is proud of me but something tells me that it is not enough. What the hell am I supposed to do actually please him and make him proud of me? And these new recruits…I hope they're not that asshole, Jade, and his annoying sister, Ruby. If it's them, then damn, am I ever in hell!_

* * *

Meanwhile, Jade and Ruby stood outside the door to the 5th Division Barracks, relieved to the find that they had finally made it to the right destination.

"I'll be damned if that egotistical brat is here too," Ruby trailed off. "If he is, then there will be hell to pay."

Jade, however, said nothing. He knew that his sister hated her classmate more than anything. He was clearly better than her in martial arts, sword combat, and even kidou, having top scores in all three. Ruby had often accused Ryuichi of cheating in those forms of combat, not even knowing that he had starting learning them from his parents prior to his Academy days. Even still, it annoyed her greatly.

"Whatever, Ruby," Jade said, focusing on the door to the Barracks. "Let's go inside and meet our new leaders."

Simultaneously, they pushed open the door and walked inside the vast hallway, past a small, empty office where Hinamori Momo was stationed, and towards the main office at the end of the hallway.

Once arriving to the main office door, Jade knocked on the door while Ruby waited patiently.

"Can you get that please?" A male voice sounded behind the door.

"Yea sure," a familiar, younger male voice replied. Ruby froze.

The door opened, and to Ruby's shock, Ryuichi stood in the doorway and froze when he saw the Carmine twins staring at him.

"Don't fucking tell me…" Ryuichi mumbled almost out of his father's earshot.

Ruby's eyes widened as she seethed in anger. "How could _you_ be here? You stupid brat! Did you cheat your way over here as well?"

"Let it go, Ruby," Jade trailed off.

Ryuichi gave a scowl that was reminiscent of his father's. "For your information, _I_ was _assigned_ here. And how could a rookie like _you_ be here when you clearly _suck_ at everything?"

"Oh you're going to get it!" Ruby charged at Ryuichi but Jade held her back. "You will _pay _for saying such shit to me! You think you're _soooo_ great? So high and mighty? Well you know what? Get a fucking life!"

"Oooh, such big words from a little girl," Ryuichi taunted with a smirk. "Come get a piece of me." He laughed with his hands up mockingly.

Ruby thrashed around in her brother's grip, cursing repetitively at the smirking young man in front of her.

That was until Ichigo showed up at the doorway. "What's going on?" He asked with a scowl. "Why are you two fighting in my barracks when my lieutenant and I are trying to work?"

Ruby stopped thrashing and Jade let her go, confident that she was calm. An embarrassed blush rose in her cheeks as she bowed immediately. "Sorry for my disrespect, sir!" Jade nodded.

Ichigo smiled. "You must be the new recruits for my division. My name is Ichigo Kurosaki, but you may call me Kurosaki-Taichou. My Third Seat is sending butterflies to our squad members so that I can introduce you to the rest of our Division members. What, may I ask, is your assigned seat?"

"We weren't given one," Jade replied. Ryuichi snickered from behind his father, earning a dirty look from Ruby. Jade continued, as though it never happened, "but we were assigned as part of the squad run by this Hinamori Momo or whatever her name is."

Ichigo nodded. "Yes, that would be my Third Seat. I trust that you will enjoy your learning experience here in the 5th Division."

"One question," Ruby said as she glared at the boy behind the captain, "is _he_ in 5th Division as well?" She pointed to Ryuichi.

Ichigo pulled his son in front of him and rested his hand on his shoulder. Ruby could tell that they very much resembled one another, except for dark highlights that showed through Ryuichi's bright orange hair. "Yes he is," Ichigo said, "and he's my son."

Ruby's eyes widened so much that she almost swore they bulged through their sockets. "What? Your son? You mean this idiot who keeps getting in _my_ way is your _son_?"

"I can tell you don't like each other," Ichigo noted, still smirking. Ryuichi gave a taunting smirk. Jade prepared to hold his sister back at all costs.

"I can't stand him!" She exclaimed. "He was my rival back at the Academy and he's my rival now!"

Ichigo nodded in understanding. "Then I guess it's high time that you two learn to work together. Because I hate to say it…what's your name?"

"Carmine. Ruby Carmine," Ruby introduced herself, still seething.

"Alright then, Ruby," Ichigo continued, "I hate to say it but once you've been assigned you can't switch Divisions until the Captain-Commander is fully convinced you're ready…and with my written consent of course."

Ruby looked at her captain questioningly, but Ichigo scowled in response. "And I'm not about to give you consent anytime soon, I'm afraid. So you will have to live with it."

Ruby's hands balled into fists as she growled, but then she calmed down. If this guy was in authority in this Division, then she had no other choice but to follow what he would say. So she knew that she had to keep quiet, but that did not mean that she would stop hating Ryuichi. "Fine then, I will," she mumbled, still glaring at Ryuichi.

Ichigo turned towards Jade, who silently watched the whole thing coldly. "What is your name, if I may ask?"

"Jade Carmine," Jade replied.

"Alright then," Ichigo said, "you guys can hang out for however long you would like in the area - familiarize yourselves as well, if you want to – and I will introduce you guys to the rest of the Division shortly. You will also meet Hinamori-san and Rukia, who is my lieutenant as well as my wife. I hope you enjoy yourselves or at least try to."

"We will," Jade replied but Ruby was too transfixed on her hatred for Ryuichi to respond until Jade lightly elbowed her in the arm.

Snapping back to reality, Ruby turned towards her new captain and nodded. "Sorry. Yes, sir," she stammered before giving one more quick glare towards her rival. Being in the 5th Division, she found out, will be hell. However, if Ryuichi weren't in the same group as she and her brother, she would not have to be near him every day. And that is something she can live with.

Ichigo smirked. "Very well then. I welcome you both into 5th Division. I will see you shortly. You may be dismissed."

Jade nodded and he and Ruby turned to walk down the hallway.

Ryuichi rolled his eyes as he watched them walk away.

Noticing this, Ichigo scowled once again but this time more deeply. "And just so _you_ know, I do _not_ want any childish behaviour from you, especially around her. You are 15 and a man. Is that understood?"

Ryuichi relaxed his face. "Yea."

Ichigo smiled at his son's answer. He would admit, however, that his son reminded him a lot of himself when he was his age.

Ever since the older Kurosaki had been promoted to captain 3 years ago, he had decided to take Soul Society's ways more seriously. It was the least he could do to be a better captain than his predecessor and turn things around for his division. Rukia, Renji, and even Byakuya were impressed by this change, and Byakuya took it upon himself to give the new captain advice about his position.

"Well at least I don't need to waste my breath on her for a while, huh, Dad?" Ryuichi asked.

Ichigo nodded. "I don't know what is going on between you two, but who knows? You two will learn to like each other."

Ryuichi sneered at the answer. "Riiiight... She's too annoying."

"I found your mother annoying too when I first met her," Ichigo whispered, hoping that his wife wouldn't hear.

Unluckily for him, a pen flew hard at his head. "Ow!" Ichigo whined as he stared at his glaring wife and rubbed the spot on the side of his head. "What was that for, midget?" Ryuichi tried to stifle a chuckle.

"What do you think?" Rukia asked with her arms crossed.

"That was then, this is now," Ichigo protested. "You're not as annoying as you were back then."

Satisfied with his answer, Rukia smiled. "Thank you, hon."

Ichigo added with a mumble, "Although your drawings still suck..." Rukia gave him a death glare. "Alright, alright! I get it! I take that back."

"You better," Rukia replied with a smirk as she walked over to him, but she stopped and looked over to Ryuichi. "Son, can you give us a moment?" She asked.

Knowing what his mother was implying, Ryuichi covered his face in disgust. "Aw man! Why must you do this, mom?"

"Listen to your mother, son," Ichigo said with a smirk as he wrapped his arms around his wife.

"I don't know why this should even be legal," Ryuichi commented as he left his parents alone in privacy, shutting the door before he could hear his mother giggle and his father kissing her. He shuddered at the sounds from his parents' office as he quickly walked away out of earshot.

* * *

It did not take long for all of the members of the fifth division to gather before their captain and lieutenant.

Ruby and Jade stood in front as well, not too far from Ryuichi and his parents. While Jade fixed his eyes nonchalantly on his fellow 5th Division members, Ruby kept stealing glances at the young man she hated the most, damning herself if she would _ever_ be forced to work with him.

Ryuichi was nervous seeing about a hundred or so members before him, but he had to be strong for his father who was standing proudly beside him. Rukia rubbed her son's back consolingly for she felt his nervousness, but her son just flinched for he thought that she was embarrassing him. Rukia just rolled her eyes and turned back to her subordinates while her husband spoke.

"Welcome, everyone," Ichigo greeted with a smile.

"Hello, taichou," his subordinates returned the greeting, just as cheerfully.

"I am honoured to welcome a few new recruits to our division. First and foremost," he placed a hand on his son's shoulder, "this is my son. His name is Ryuichi, and he just graduated after two years at the academy. He will be our Fifth Seat, but don't worry; I won't be giving him any special treatment." Then he pointed to Ruby, who immediately froze and seethed with anger when she found out her rival's rank, and Jade. "Secondly, these are Ruby and Jade Carmine. They are both going to be in Hinamori Momo's Reconnaissance Squad. I strongly request you all to treat them with respect like how you would do for each other. We are all part of a team, so we must all treat each other like family. Is that understood?"

"Yes, sir," his subordinates all said in unison.

Ichigo continued, still smiling. "You may now be dismissed if you like."

While several of Ichigo's subordinates left to return home, the remainder stayed behind to welcome Ryuichi, Ruby, and Jade with smiles, friendly laughter, and friendly conversations - well, Ryuichi especially.

Ichigo had a good feeling that his son would fit into any division because of his skills, and he also had a feeling that once his zampakutou would be released, he would be a strong asset to Soul Society. He knew that these were Ryuichi's ambitions so he wanted to do anything he could to help his son reach his goals, like a father should.

Ruby and Jade, only the other hand, acted politely throughout the greetings, but while Jade was distracted, Ruby had other ideas than to be welcomed.

She marched right up to Ryuichi, seething with anger and jealousy. When the young man saw her approach him, he rolled his eyes in annoyance. _What now?_

"You cheater! You asshole!" Ruby yelled, pointing a finger against her rival's chest. "How could a fucking amateur like _you_ be 5th Seated officer while _my_ brother and _I_ are not even ranked at all? I don't give a shit if you _are_ Kurosaki-Taichou's son; you're still ranked _asshole_ in _my_ books!"

Her insults did not phase Ryuichi one bit. "Here's an answer to your question," he replied coolly with a scowl. "My parents are experts in their fields of combat and my mom is an expert at kidou. They trained me before I entered the Academy. So now you know _why_ I was the top of our class in every aspect? Because I was pretty much taught in all that stuff already. It's all about abilities. _You_, on the other hand, are just jealous because if _your_ lack of experience."

"JEALOUS? You've got some fucking _nerve_ saying _that_ shit to me, you fucking prick! And do you think I _care_ about what you learned before you entered the Academy? Absolutely not!"

Ryuichi snickered at the girl's response. "Why the hell did you even bring it up?"

Ruby fought off the urge to run the young man through with her katana. "Just do me a favour, Kurosaki, and stay out of my way or else you will live to regret it."

Ryuichi mockingly shivered. "Oooh, I'm scared already. Not that I wanted to care what you and that asshole of a brother of yours do anyway. Just remember that I can beat you easily. Don't forget _that_."

"Whatever, you bastard," Ruby replied. She turned on her heel and walked over to her brother, not saying another word.

Ryuichi just watched her go, thinking about what his father had told him back inside his office.

_Ichigo nodded. "I don't know what is going on between you two, but who knows? You two will learn to like each other."_

_Ryuichi sneered at the answer. "Riiiight... She's too annoying."_

"_I found your mother annoying too when I first met her," Ichigo whispered, hoping that his wife wouldn't hear. _

He sneered at the memory. "Riiight, like that will happen." He continued to socialize with several members of his new Division.

Meanwhile, Ichigo couldn't help but be proud of his son with his success in joining the division. He had a good feeling that his son would fit into any division because of his skills, and he also had a feeling that once his zampakutou would be released, he would be a strong asset to Soul Society. He knew that these were Ryuichi's ambitions so he wanted to do anything he could to help his son reach his goals, like a father should.

"Ichigo," Rukia's voice snapped her husband out of his thoughts. Ichigo turned to his wife, giving her his full attention. "I'm going to the World of the Living to pick up Aiko," she said, "I will be back soon."

Not too long after they were given their promotion, Yamamato Genryuusai had given them permission to go back and forth between Karakura and Soul Society, so that Ichigo would be closer to home and visit whenever it would be possible. Another reason was so that he and Rukia could have Yuzu and Karin babysit their daughter whenever it would be possible.

The captain wrapped his arms around his wife and held her close to his chest. "Alright, baby," he whispered in her ear, "give Yuzu my regards. The paperwork is nearly finished anyway. Thanks for your help."

Rukia lovingly smiled as she brushed her lips gently against her husband's in reply. "Be back soon," she said as she flash stepped towards the Senkaimon.

After finishing his conversations with his fellow Division members, Ryuichi walked back to his father. "Hey dad, where did mom go?" he asked, looking around with a slightly puzzled look on his face.

"She went to pick up your sister," Ichigo replied.

"Ah, ok then. Well, I'm going home. See you, Dad." Ryuichi said, but just before he could take a step, his father stopped him. Sighing and rolling his eyes slightly, the boy turned to face his father again. "What now?"

"Come here, son, I want to speak to you."

_What did I do this time?_ He thought to himself as he returned to his father's side.

Ichigo placed a hand on his son's shoulder and said, "Son, tomorrow I'm going to supervise your training."

"Training?" Ryuichi asked. "I thought that passed prior to the Academy."

Ichigo chuckled. "That was the first step." Ryuichi stared at his father, anticipating to hear more of his explanation. "Your next step is to learn the name of your zampakutou, like what we had talked about back in my office. Then you need to train even more to keep your strength up. I am going to see how well your skills are up to this point with a little sparring session that we used to have together."

"What if I don't learn the name at all?" Ryuichi asked, worriedly but Ichigo chuckled.

"What are you talking about, son? Of course you will! It just takes practice, that's all. After all, this is only the beginning. It took a while for me to learn the name of _my_ zampakutou when I was about your age." The captain patted his son's shoulders. "Now then, head on home and rest. I have paperwork that I need to finish."

Without question, Ryuichi turned to walk home. He turned his head once again to stare at his father, who was retreating to his office to finish off the paperwork, for a moment.

Taking in a deep sigh and continuing on with his journey to home, the young man was nervous about the following day. Yet, he was also kind of excited for it had been a long time since he had last sparred with his father just like old times.

With his resolve returning, Ryuichi smirked as he ran towards his home, expecting the long road ahead in his career.

* * *

_**Next time on Inherited Nightmares...**_

_Ryuichi stared with widened eyes at the giant, cleaver-like zampakutou his father had wielded. Ichigo smirked at his son's reaction. "I've forgot. You haven't seen Zangetsu, haven't you?" All what Ryuichi could do was shake his head as he continued to stare in surprise. _

"_Don't worry, son, you'll get used to it," Ichigo said as he sprung forth without warning. Ryuichi held onto the hilt of his katana tightly, not wanting to show any weakness to his father. After all, despite his surprise earlier, he knew he was born ready for this._

"_Bring it on, Dad," he said with a smirk as he got into a fighting stance._

* * *

Well, there's the first chapter for you all :D It definitely took a while longer than I thought though because I have a bit of writer's block at the moment, but I'm going to do the best I can. For those of you who read the first chapter of Life of a Captain's son, you will find out that both chapters are quite similar in some ways since I used that chapter as a base and added whatever I needed to on this one. I'm quite excited for anything that will happen in the next bunch of chapters. ^_^

As for the video version, I'm definitely going to use it but I'm not going to have fan artists draw Ryuichi or Aiko (you can if you want to). I'm going to see if I can find pictures of people who look a lot like them in my mind on Photobucket. It shouldn't be too hard to find pictures of Ryuichi though. My friend, however, is going to see if he can find fan artists to draw Ruby and Jade, since they're his characters. There will also be a trailer (it's the promo vid) for this story as well. So watch out for that since it's after the AMV I'm currently making.

With all that said, hope you all enjoyed this chapter and let me know what you think!

Take care!


	2. The Training Begins

So I'm glad that everyone has enjoyed this story so far. I have finally figured out what to do for the trailer and the video versions of Inherited Nightmares, but they won't come out for a while though. Like I said before, I'm sticking to the story version until I get some loose ends tied with the video versions.

And by the way, the couples are the same as the last one – Ichigo x Rukia, Hisagi x Matsumoto, Renji x Tatsuki, Hitsugaya x Karin, Urahara x Yoruichi – but there will also be Jinta x Yuzu (which is being introduced in this chapter) and OC (Original character, in this case, Ryuichi) x Hinamori. As you might remember from chapter 1, Ryuichi has a crush on Hinamori. You will see more of that in the later parts of the story, including this chapter, where there is a dream that he has about her.

Anyway, here's chapter 2. Hope you all enjoy

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Bleach as it is owned by Kubo Tite ~sigh~ However, I do own Ryuichi, Aiko, and the storyline. Jade and Ruby Carmine are owned by my friend Kung Man149 (he would rather his name not be disclosed).

* * *

_**Chapter 2: The Training Begins**_

Several feet away from the 5th Division Barracks, Jade and Ruby were walking home when Jade suddenly pushed Ruby into the wall, taking her by surprise by pinning his elbow against her throat. "What the _hell_ is your god damned problem?" She yelled.

"You knew he was our captain's son yet you chose to be an idiot," Jade hissed in Ruby's ear, "Smarten up before you get us _both_ removed."

"Or you could let me go and I can go about my own fuckin' business," Ruby counteracted, giving her brother a death glare.

Jade suddenly let go and Ruby walked off, unsheathing her zanpakuto and waving it in the air as she said in a mock child's voice, "Oh! My name is Ryuichi, I'm so good at everything." Then she changed her voice back to normal but more angry. "GOD I HATE THAT LITTLE BASTARD!"

Jade looked away in embarrassment. "God... Thank _god_ I'm not that young anymore..."

"Seriously, Jade," Ruby said, looking over her shoulder, "if that stupid brat wasn't as strong as he was, I would have beaten him to an inch of his life by now. I don't care if he's Kurosaki-Taichou's son or not."

"You think I don't know that?" Jade asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"He keeps getting in _my_ way! He is constantly holding me back!" Ruby ranted, sheathing her zampakutou and tightening her hands into fists.

"That will probably change when we train with Hinamori-san tomorrow," Jade said.

Ruby sighed. "Yea, I hope you're right."

"You calm?"

"Yea."

"Good, let's go home," Jade said as he walked past his sister. Ruby rushed to keep up with her brother.

* * *

In Karakura Town, Rukia stood in the doorway to an apartment building, looking for a certain surname to which she would call to be let in.

Karin, Yuzu, and Jinta, Yuzu's boyfriend, had all lived together in the same apartment and were more than happy to look after Aiko – well Karin and Yuzu were since they both agreed how adorable little Aiko was. Jinta did not mind looking after the little girl, but it drove him crazy when all she talked about were bunnies.

Rukia found the name and dialed the number code. After a few moments, she was buzzed in and she let herself in immediately.

As soon as she made it to the apartment, Yuzu was already standing in the doorway waiting for her. "Rukia-nii!" She exclaimed as she hugged her sister-in-law.

Rukia returned the hug and followed her inside. "Hi Yuzu, how did things go with my baby girl?"

Yuzu giggled and answered, "Things went so well. She is such a sweetheart."

Then she called for Aiko to come for them and immediately, a child with ebony pigtails, amber eyes, and a wide grin came running up to them and hugged her mother. "Mommy!" She squealed as her mother picked her up and gave her a tight hug.

"How did your time go with aunties Yuzu and Karin and uncle Jinta?" Rukia asked and her daughter replied, "it was great, mommy! I drew a picture!" Yuzu laughed with delight as she watched this scene before her.

Rukia gasped as she put her down and asked, "Really? Can I see?"

Aiko ran into another room and came back with a piece of paper in her tiny hand. "Look mommy!" She squealed as she gave the paper to her mother.

Rukia studied the paper and smiled at the drawing. There, drawn in crayon, were two child-drawn bunnies hand-in-hand and smiling with a flower in each of their paws. One was bigger than the other, and the smaller bunny seemed to have a tiny bow on one of her ears. "See? That's a mommy bunny and that's her little daughter bunny," Aiko explained, grinning from ear to ear.

"Awww, that so cute, baby," Rukia cooed as she give her little daughter a tight hug.

Yuzu laughed again. "Yeah, it's quite adorable. Too bad it drove Jinta around the bend though."

Rukia giggled in reply. "Yeah, I know how that is. It does the same to Nii-sama, Renji, Ichigo, Ryuichi, and other men. They love her of course, but she loves to drive all of them crazy with her drawings and talk about bunnies. It's really funny when she does this. I guess she got that from me."

Yuzu laughed once again. "Indeed. Speaking of your family, how are Onii-chan and your son doing?"

"Well, Ryuichi just graduated from the Shinigami Academy and has been inducted into our division as 5th seat officer."

Yuzu was surprised as she gleefully squealed, "Really? That's amazing! You should be proud! Especially at his age!"

Rukia nodded and continued, "I am proud of my son. Ichigo is also proud as well, but of course you know how serious he is about his work though. He sends you and Karin his love by the way."

"Awww, tell him the same for me as well."

"Speaking of Karin, where are she and Jinta anyway?"

"Oh, they are playing soccer at a field nearby, but they told me to tell you that they both said hello and they wish you the best with your family - well Karin-chan said that anyway. You know how Jinta is." Yuzu laughed again.

Rukia rolled her eyes but continued to smile as she scooped Aiko up in her arms, bunny picture in hand. "Oh believe me I do. Anyway, I would love to stay and chitchat with you, but I have to take little Aiko here home. My husband and son are waiting for me."

Yuzu grinned. "Not a problem at all! It was a blast taking care of little Aiko for you. I look forward to taking care of her again. Take care, Rukia-nii! Bye Aiko-chan!"

"Bye Auntie Yuzu!" Aiko frantically waved as she was carried out of the apartment as soon as her mother said her good byes as well.

* * *

_She sat alone on the edge of the cliff at Soukyouku Hill. The moon shone on her as though it was a spotlight and everything revolved around her. That__ was how Ryuichi viewed Hinamori Momo when he saw her that night. He viewed her as an angel in disguise, a damsel in distress. Tonight was no different. She was alone that night that was for sure – alone and depressed._

_He stood several feet behind her, contemplating about whether or not to talk to her. She did not notice him yet, but he wondered what would happen if she did notice him. Would things be better or worse? He could hear her light sobs sound through the still and silent night, and he could feel his heart crying for her. Seeing her like this was more than he could take. He hoped that he could comfort her in any way possible._

_He silently walked over to her as though any wrong step would alarm her at any moment, thinking about what he would say to her._

_He did not think of himself as any kind of romantic. In fact, he never really felt like this for any other girl, except her. He loved her ever since his second year at the Academy and each thought of her increased his love and affection. If it weren't for the barriers that separated them – the fact that she wept day and night for her late boyfriend and the fact that she worked for his father – he felt that he could have her._

_Step by step, he edged closer to her until she finally noticed him right behind her. _

"_Ryuichi-kun?" She called into the night, choking back sobs. _

_Ryuichi could sense the amount of vulnerability in her voice. This was his cue to act normally. "Hi," was all he could say._

_Silence ensued between them for a moment. "I – I'm sorry that I'm disturbing you," Ryuichi stammered, unsure of his words, "If you want some space, I'll –"_

"_No!" Hinamori replied, turning slightly towards her captain's son. She smiled sadly. "I could sure use some company." Then she patted a spot on the ground beside her. "Sit…if you like."_

_Ryuichi stepped towards her and sat down as instructed. He turned towards her, concern continuing to grace his face. "It's him, isn't it?" _Smart move, dumbass…, _he thought to himself, cringing slightly._

_Hinamori nodded as she continued to stare into space. "He told me to be strong and happy for him - which I had tried so hard to do - but ever since he died in my arms I just couldn't shake off this sadness, this never ending pain. He was everything to me, even more so than Shirou-chan, although sometimes I regret breaking Shirou-chan's heart for him. But I had to do what I did! It seemed Shirou-chan had no time for me anymore like he used to when we were kids, and it just broke my heart to realize that. When Izuru comforted me that night, I felt a strong connection to him. I ended up falling in love with him. He was so warm and affectionate. He made me so happy." She smiled at the memory for a moment, but then her smile turned back to a frown. "But then the horrible memory of Gin Ichimaru piercing him with his sword…the way he died in my arms…I…I…" _

_Before she could continue, she immediately started to break down sobbing. Ryuichi did the best he could do by wrapping his arms around her tightly, allowing her to sob on his shoulder. "It's all right, Hinamori-san," he soothed with a hand smoothing her hair, "let it out. I'm right here, and I won't let anything or anyone ever hurt you again, I promise. I'll do what I can to protect you."_

_The words of encouragement brought strength to her, and she smiled through her tears as she wrapped her arms around Ryuichi's shoulders. "Th-thank you, Ryuichi-kun," she said as she relaxed in the warmth of the younger Kurosaki's arms._

_Ryuichi parted from her slightly to gaze into her eyes. He ran a hand down her cheeks to wipe her tears away. "Anything for you, Hinamori-san."_

_Their faces drew closer together and their lips brushed in a romantic kiss… _

"NIIIIIIIIIII-CHAAANNN! WAKE UUUUPP!"

Aiko's screaming jerked Ryuichi awake for a second but the young man just shrugged it off and closed his eyes once more, hoping to get back to his wonderful dream.

The door flew open as his little sister rushed in. "NIII-CHAN! DADDY SAYS WAKE UP!" She screamed again, and her brother just groaned in response, trying to ignore her screaming. Aiko pouted but she beamed as she pounced on her brother's sleeping form. That did the trick.

"Freakin' hell, Aiko!" Ryuichi swore as he sat up in his futon.

"Language, Ryuichi," Ichigo warned before stepping in his room. "You remember what's happening today right?"

"Damn it, dad, it's too early!" Ryuichi plopped down on his bed again.

"Get out of bed, son. I don't care how early this is; just get out of bed already."

"Fine…" Ryuichi rubbed his eyes for a moment before rolling off his futon and walking out of his room. He could not get his dream out of his head, and even though he knew that it would least likely be a reality, he still wished that it could be. No matter what he did, he just could not get Hinamori's beautiful face out of his mind.

"Thank you, sweetie," Ichigo smiled as he ruffled his daughter's hair and she beamed even brighter. Her brother just grumbled in disappointment.

When they arrived in the kitchen, Rukia was already there, steaming rice for her family's breakfast. "Morning, Ryuichi," she greeted, smiling, as she gave her son some breakfast. Then she turned to her husband to give him a light kiss on the lips. "Hi honey," she half-whispered and Ichigo smiled back, giving his wife an affectionate rub on the back.

"Hey," Ryuichi sleepily mumbled as he dug his chopsticks into his rice.

"I'm going to uncle Byaka's today!" Aiko happily announced as she placed herself next to her brother.

"Byakuya, squirt," Ryuichi corrected between mouthfuls, "And what are you gonna do? Annoy him with your bunnies again?"

"Ryuichi," Rukia warned as she placed a smaller bowl of rice in front of her daughter, "Be nice to your sister."

"Oh right, because _she's_ the favourite…" He muttered as he rolled his eyes.

Rukia chuckled at her son's attitude. "Just like his father."

Ichigo nodded in agreement. "Indeed, and I kind of agree with Ryuichi there even though I guess I could admit, Aiko is a lot like her mother in that aspect and that's what I like about both of my girls."

"Awww, thanks hun," Rukia cooed as she nuzzled her husband's chin, earning her a warm embrace.

"Oh get a room, you two," Ryuichi smirked as Aiko covered her eyes in mock disgust.

Ichigo chuckled. He loved getting under his son's skin with his affections to his wife and Rukia enjoyed the same thing, but they knew that since Ryuichi is old enough, it was about time he would understand relationships a lot more.

"Finish up quickly, son," Ichigo said. "We've got a big day ahead of us."

"Yea, yea, I know," Ryuichi replied, quickly scooping mouthfuls of rice into his mouth before chewing the soft grains a few times.

Ichigo turned back to his wife. "So what is my beautiful little lieutenant gonna do today?"

Rukia chuckled as she lightly and playfully slapped her husband on the arm. "Little? You're still on that midget stuff again, are you?"

Ichigo laughed. "You're still and always will be a midget to me. So…what are you going to do today?"

Rukia shrugged. "I don't know. Probably supervise those other subordinates of ours who are also training, probably watch you two for a bit. Maybe fill out more paperwork that has made it to my desk."

"Have fun with all that," Ichigo teased.

"Oh you know I will," Rukia said with a smirk.

Ryuichi placed his chopsticks across his bowl and bowled slightly before standing up. "All right, Dad. I'll get ready and then we'll train."

Ichigo nodded in agreement. "All right, son. See you in a bit."

Rukia walked over to the table and picked up her son's bowl and chopsticks to wash them. "As soon as you've finished eating, Aiko, please get ready too," she instructed to her daughter. "Because as soon as your daddy and nii-chan leave this house to go to the training grounds at work, you and I are going to leave around the same time to go to Uncle Byakuya's house."

"Okay, mommy," Aiko said as she picked up small morsels of her rice with her tiny fingers and put them in her mouth.

A few moments later, Ryuichi walked back into the kitchen wearing his shinigami robes. His zampakutou rested in its sheath attached to his waste.

Ichigo smirked. "Let's go, son."

Ryuichi nodded. "Yea. See you later, Mom, Aiko."

"Bye-bye Nii-chan!" Aiko yelled excitedly.

"Good luck, you two," Rukia said. She gave her husband one final kiss before he and his son walked out their door.

The walk to the 5th Division Barracks was silent and, to Ryuichi, slow. Every time Ryuichi glanced at his father, there seemed to be something on his mind. Even though it was puzzling, the young Kurosaki did not want to be nosy and ask his father what he was thinking, so he brushed it aside for now.

As soon as they got to the Barracks, Ichigo stopped and turned around to face his son. "Meet me at the training grounds, son. I'll join you shortly."

While Ichigo went inside the Barracks, Ryuichi nodded and headed around the back of the building. Ever since his father had given him a tour of the Barracks prior to his graduation from the Academy, Ryuichi always knew where everything was, and as soon as he arrived to his destination, he noticed that there were a couple dozen shinigami training in various styles of combat. This area gave him an enormous sense of well being, and he was excited to train with his father again.

Ichigo came out with a large sword attached to his back with a red chain. Ryuichi had never seen his father's zampakutou before, but he had heard of it. He was willing to take this challenge.

"This is where your training starts, son," Ichigo explained as his son listened to every word intently. "Before we initiate your training, however, we will have a sparring match as a warm up first."

Ryuichi nodded and went into a fighting stance. The last time he sparred with his father, he kept getting knocked over because his skills were not fully developed. He wondered if anything would be different today.

Before he knew it, his father disappeared in front of him. Eyes and alert, Ryuichi watched and listened to where his father might attack from, and as soon as a punch came from out of nowhere, Ryuichi immediately blocked and countered with a kick. That was blocked and he was flipped over, but he slid on the ground on all fours.

Ichigo smirked, impressed. "Good job, Ryuichi. Last time I did that, you were knocked right on your ass." He laughed tauntingly at the memory.

Ryuichi narrowed his eyes as he got up. He charged towards his father with full force and executed rapid fire punches and jabs, which Ichigo blocked easily. He even added kicks in there as well, but they were blocked just as easily. Then he did a roundhouse kick to his father's head, but Ichigo dodged and countered with a very powerful punch with sent his son sliding along the ground slightly when he blocked it. Then with a powerful side kick to the stomach, the orange-haired captain sent his son flying to the ground, panting rapidly.

Ichigo waited a few moments for his son to recover before pulling him up off the ground. Ryuichi dusted himself off immediately and rubbed the ache on his stomach for a moment.

That was when he noticed her not too far away. Hinamori Momo was training Jade and Ruby in certain exercises that would allow them to release their zampakutou. The smile on her face, the warm sparkle in her eyes – Ryuichi could not take his eyes off her.

He was lost in his little world for a while until his father snapped him back to reality. "Son, I asked you a question," Ichigo said firmly.

Ryuichi looked at his father immediately. "Huh? Oh sorry, Dad. What was it?"

Ichigo raised an eyebrow. Sometimes he could not understand his son's antics. "I asked you if you're ready for the real training."

That got Ryuichi's full attention. "I'm ready."

Ichigo smirked. "You were staring at Hinamori, were you?"

A small blush tinted Ryuichi's cheeks. "Uh...no! I wasn't!"

Ichigo chuckled. "Such a liar. I know you like her. It's written all over your face."

Ryuichi's eyes widened. "Sh-shut up! Even if I _did_ like her, you _know_ that I wouldn't have her anyway because of you know what happened."

Ichigo's smile faded as he remembered what Hitsugaya had told him about the incident. "It was unfortunate that it had to happen, so I strongly advise you to give her some time even though it had been 15 years ago. Going back to the subject of training, however, if you're ready then let's begin."

A determined expression showed on Ryuichi's face to show that he was ready. When his father had told him his stories of his adventures, he mentioned that zampakutou, or soul slayers, were a part of a shinigami's soul and thus the spirits residing in the zampakutou had names. Ichigo also explained that there were two releases for zampakutou: the initial release, or shikai, and the final release, or bankai. Even though he had heard this explanation by his father and then later on by the instructor at the Academy, Ryuichi had yet to see what a shikai and bankai would look like and he was determined that his zampakutou would be released in such ways.

Noticing that his son was ready, Ichigo explained, "Okay, right now, we are going to have a bit of a sparring match with our zampakutou. Since Zangetsu is always in its shikai state, it might be a bit tough for you. However, this was how I learned my zampakutou's name when I, at your age, was trained by Urahara-san."

Ichigo reached behind him and immediately the wrappings covering his sword unravelled, showing the silver-black sheen of his giant zampakutou as he held it over his head for his son to see.

Ryuichi stared with widened eyes at the giant, cleaver-like zampakutou his father had wielded. Ichigo smirked at his son's reaction. "I've forgot. You haven't seen Zangetsu, haven't you?" All what Ryuichi could do was shake his head as he continued to stare in surprise.

"Don't worry, son, you'll get used to it," Ichigo said as he sprung forth without warning. Ryuichi held onto the hilt of his katana tightly, not wanting to show any weakness to his father. After all, despite his surprise earlier, he knew he was born ready for this.

"Bring it on, Dad," he said with a smirk as he got into a fighting stance.

However, when he blocked his father's attack, it was more than what he could bear. With the sheer strength of the cleaver-like zampakutou against his normal katana, Ryuichi could tell that his sword could break at any second. It was no wonder his father said this was challenging.

Ichigo smirked slightly. "Overwhelmed, huh?" He slashed his zampakutou through his son's defenses in a sideways motion, causing him to jump back. Then the orange-haired captain frowned as he charged towards his son for another attack. "The spirit of your zampakutou should call out to you. Listen to it! Don't lose focus!" With full strength, he brought his zampakutou down again.

Not wanting to bear with the overwhelming feeling from before, Ryuichi dodged the incoming attack, trying to follow his father's advice by listening to the spirit. However, the spirit's voice was too inaudible to hear and his father's attacks weren't helping in any way. _Shit,_ he thought to himself while gritting his teeth in frustration. _How the hell did he do it?_

He tried to block an incoming slash attack, but his hands slipped on his katana and the enormous sword cut his shoulder, knocking him to the ground in the process.

Ichigo scowled at his ashamed son panting in front of him and holding onto his injured shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Dad," Ryuichi hissed through his teeth, making his father soften his stare.

"No problem, son," Ichigo replied with a slight smile. "You're just not used to this yet. It will come with time. You want to continue – "

Immediately, Ryuichi blurted out, "Yes!" He looked up at his father in a hard daze, cold but determined. "I _want_ to continue."

Ichigo stared in amazement as his son stood up, his eyes flaming with determination. He was awed by such willpower his son possessed, but he wasn't surprised. He knew his son inherited most of his traits and he knew that Ryuichi would stop at nothing until he achieved his goals.

He smirked as he got into a fighting stance. "Then, let's go for another round, son."

However, just before they could begin, Hinamori ran up to them. "Kurosaki-Taichou! Kurosaki-Taichou!"

Both stood at attention and waited until she caught up to them, gasping out of breath. "What's wrong, Hinamori-san?" Ichigo asked. The dream that Ryuichi had the night before entered his mind once again as he stared at her stressed-out face.

Hinamori took a moment to regain her breath, and then she looked her captain in the eye. "Please forgive my interruptions, Kurosaki-Taichou."

"It's alright, Hinamori-san," Ichigo soothed. "What's wrong?"

"The captain-commander has requested all captains and their lieutenants to meet at his barracks _immediately_."

Ichigo's eyes widened at the news. That could mean one thing and one thing only: an emergency happened. "Were you told about any details concerning the emergency?"

Hinamori shook her head. "No, sir. Although I _was_ told that it had something to do with Aizen-Tai… I mean Aizen."

The name stiffened her captain. "I'll leave immediately. Where's Rukia?"

"She's already on her way there, sir."

Ichigo nodded. "All right, thank you, Hinamori." He pressed Zangetsu against his back, where it immediately wrapped itself in the linen wrappings.

"Wait, Dad!" Ryuichi said.

His father turned to look at him. "If this is about the training, we're finished for the day. I must attend this meeting. See you at home, son." He turned on his heel and walked towards the First Division Barracks.

Hinamori turned to smile at Ryuichi. "It's all right, Ryuichi-kun. Your father will see you soon." And with that, she walked back to her group.

Ryuichi grasped the hilt of his zampakutou tightly. So this Aizen has finally made a move, huh? He heard terrible things in regards to this man, and he hoped that he could learn the name of his zampakutou soon so that he can join this war.

* * *

_**Next Time on Inherited Nightmares...**_

"_Everyone, please go to your places at once so that we can start this meeting!" Yamamoto shouted above the loud conversations in the vast room. _

_Immediately everyone complied, and when Ichigo took his place beside his wife, a feeling of nervousness rose up within him. If this had something to do with Aizen, then could it be that Aizen is planning to target him as well? That could be the case, and there was no doubt in the captain's mind about that._

"_Captains, lieutenants," the old captain-commander's voice echoed throughout the acoustics of the great hall. "This is a serious emergency meeting as you all know. Aizen has finally begun his move."_

_The captains and lieutenants looked among each other and whispered among themselves until the captain-commander got their attention once again. "He has sent a couple of his remaining espada to invade Karakura Town."

* * *

_

Ooh boy! So Aizen has begun making a move after 15 years! You will see more about this in the upcoming chapters. Things will start taking a darker turn in chapter 3 as well, so look out for that.

I once again apologize for how busy I had been the past couple of weeks. I had family over so I was mainly busy with them. Summer is usually the busiest time for me.

Anyway, hope you all enjoyed the chapter and, as soon I figure out what to do about it, the Inherited Nightmares trailer will come out! I am also taking ideas as well. I've got a couple ideas of what to do about it, but that is just at the beginning and what song I am using. So if anyone has any other ideas, please let me know either in a private message or when you comment on here.

Thanks and take care, y'all!


	3. Trouble Awakens

So a shorter chapter this time, guys! Sorry about that. However though, there is kinda a reason for that, which I will elaborate in the closing message. Hope you guys enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Bleach or any of the characters in this story, except for Ryuichi and Aiko. Jade and Ruby are owned by Kung Man149.

* * *

**Chapter 3: Trouble Awakens**

Ryuichi was still standing at the same spot his father had left him, deep in thought by the recent events. He could not believe that he had shamed himself in front of his father. _Damn! Am I such a joke or what? _

He lifted his katana in front of his face and stared at the gleaming blade. "What's your name?" He whispered. "Please tell me." Nothing answered him back and he sighed as he lowered the sword back to his side. "How the hell did he do it?"

Suddenly, a voice nearby screamed with joy. Startled, he sharply turned around to face the source of the noise: Ruby. "AHH! WHAT THE FUCK! WHAT THE FUCK JUST HAPPENED?" She screamed repeatedly.

Hinamori beamed with amusement. "You heard a voice?" Ruby did not say anything but continued to stare at her katana with a shocked expression on her face. "Then you must have learned your Zampakutou's name!" Hinamori said. "Congratulations!"

Hearing this, Ryuichi felt something boil inside of him - something more than rage. _What the hell? How could this happen?_

Ruby cockily strode up to him. "Guess what, little boy? I learned my Zampakutou's name before you did! Take that you little shithead!" Ryuichi froze.

"So did I," Jade added with a laugh while leaning against a wall.

Ryuichi's rage turned into murderous intent as he tightened his hold on his katana. His irises started to glow an eerie white. "FUCK YOU! I _REFUSE_ TO BE BEATEN BY TWO LOWER CLASS _FOOLS_ LIKE YOU! I'M GONNA FUCKING KILL YOU!" He charged towards both siblings with intent to attack them.

However, just when he was about to slash at Ruby, she punched his jaw with enough force to send him sprawling to the floor.

Jade scowled as he stood up from his wall. "So...you wanna attack my sister, huh? I guess I'm gonna have to rip you limb from limb now, won't I...?"

As he flash-stepped towards Ryuichi, who had just stood up, he was met with a violent kick to the stomach which sent him flying backwards into another wall.

"Don't piss me off, you green-haired freak," Ryuichi threatened, his irises still slightly glowing, "I WILL kill you. Actually looking at you now pisses me off already." He stretched out his hands with the palms facing outwards. "Hadou 33: Sokatsui!"

A blue fire ball shot towards Jade, but Ruby flash-stepped in front of her brother and parried off the attack immediately. Jade stood up from the ground immediately. "Let's show him that he can't mess with us," he suggested and Ruby smirked. They both dematerialized immediately.

Ryuichi kept his focus as he waited for the siblings to reappear. Ruby attacked from behind, but the younger Kurosaki was ready. He immediately blocked her sword attack with his own. However, he did not expect Jade to slash him across his back. Blood splashed outwards and Ryuichi grunted in pain. Ruby used this opportunity to knock her opponent down with a kick. The katana that once donned Ryuichi's hands slid across the ground several feet away.

Before Ryuichi could once again grab his sword, Ruby stepped on his hands, causing him to hiss in pain.

An extra, explosive amount of pain hit his chest and Ryuichi screeched. Jade kicked his ribs again, this time harder than ever, earning more yells of pain. He repeated the same act over and over again, and Ruby smirked intently while she taunted her rival. "You thought that you were better than us, huh? Well look again! You're pathetic! It's no wonder the captain is ashamed of you and left early! He doesn't want a weak son! The truth hurts, don't it?" She laughed maliciously. "Give it up! You're hopeless!"

Hinamori, who was watching the whole thing, became horrified by Ryuichi's treatment. She knew something had to be done and immediately. Using flash-step, she arrived at the scene and, with all her strength, pushed Jade out of the way. Then she pulled Ruby off Ryuichi's hand.

Jade and Ruby watched a seething Hinamori standing over a panting Ryuichi. "Have...you...no..._SHAME_? I don't care what you two have against Ryuichi-kun, but it ends here and right now!"

"He attacked us –" Jade tried to explain, but Hinamori interrupted him.

"I DON'T WANT TO HEAR IT! This is NOT what the captain wants with ANY of his subordinates! Do I make myself _clear_?"

Instead of answering their leader, Jade and Ruby looked at each other for a moment.

"I can't hear you!" Hinamori shouted impatiently. The siblings looked at her.

"Yes, Hinamori-san," Ruby trailed off. Her brother nodded in agreement.

This was enough for Hinamori to hear to be satisfied. "Good. Now leave!" Ruby and Jade complied as they left Hinamori and Ryuichi alone.

Inaudibly, Ruby whispered to her brother, "it's no wonder she loves him so much..." Jade nodded slightly as they left the scene together.

Hinamori turned towards her captain's son and her eyes softened in concern when she saw his broken and sprawled form – blood trickled from his lips and formed in a small puddle next to his back. "Kurosaki-Taichou, I'm so sorry," she whispered to herself as she started to heal Ryuichi, her eyes swimming with tears which she refused to let go.

* * *

Ichigo sighed as he pushed open the large doors and walked into the great hall where he would meet up with his wife. Sure enough, he was greeted by the current Gotei 13 as well as his wife.

"Ichigo! You heard the news. Thank goodness," Rukia said and Ichigo nodded as he wrapped his arms around her.

"Did you hear anything else about this?" He asked.

Rukia shook her head. "No, sir. But I have found out that this had to do with Aizen."

"I was told the same thing," Ichigo trailed off.

"Hey Ichigo!" Renji called from a few feet away. Grinning from ear to ear, Yachiru sat perched on her new captain's shoulder. On the other side of him was Tatsuki, a badge wrapped around her right shoulder.

"Hey Renji. Hey Tatsuki." Ichigo replied.

"Hi Ichigo," Tatsuki greeted back. "How's your son doing?"

Ichigo scratched the back of his neck, grinning sheepishly. "He's doing well. He's having a hard time figuring out the name of his zampakutou, but that takes time."

Renji smirked. "It depends on the person, I guess. Took me a while to figure out Zabimaru's name."

They were then joined by a new voice. "Hey Kurosaki-san!"

Ichigo turned around and saw Urahara in his old shinigami robes, grinning. Nemu, his lieutenant, stood behind him. "Hey Urahara," Ichigo greeted, "How's Mrs. Kisuke doing with her pregnancy?"

Urahara chuckled excitedly. "Yoruichi is doing very well right now. She is currently 3 months in."

Ichigo laughed. "Just wait until she starts bitching at you." That earned him an elbow to his ribs by a scowling Rukia. "What?" he exclaimed while rubbing the sore spot where his wife hit him.

Urahara chuckled once again. "Haha, I know what you mean. She's already begun that. Before I left for this meeting, she demanded me to get her some ice cream and chicken right away."

Ichigo smirked. "You'll be a great father one day."

Urahara rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Yea, I'm sure I will. Speaking of fatherhood, how are your kids doing? Aiko-chan still talking about bunnies and the sort?"

It was Rukia's turn to laugh. "Absolutely. She drew the most adorable picture while her aunts were taking care of her." Ichigo rolled his eyes at the thought of the picture. He must admit that it was very adorable, but too adorable for his tastes.

Urahara nodded his head in understanding. "She's so full of life that one...just like her mother."

Ichigo tightened his grip around his wife's waist as he added, "and almost as beautiful as well."

"Oh you," Rukia said bashfully, a tint of blush forming on her cheeks.

"How's your other one?" Urahara asked.

"He's doing very well," Ichigo replied. "He just graduated from the Academy and is currently my 5th Seat."

Urahara widened his eyes in surprise. "Already? Wow!"

"And also he's trying to learn the name of his zampakutou," Ichigo shrugged. "His first day of training didn't go so well, but I don't blame him."

"Yea, it takes time," Urahara agreed. "He'll get it eventually."

Ichigo nodded. "Yea, I know."

"Rukia!" Another voice joined the fray. "Oh there you are!"

Rukia looked up to see Matsumoto running towards her with Hisagi Shuheii tagging behind. "Hi Matsumoto!" She greeted with a smile.

"I just thought I would let you two know," Matsumoto said happily as she held out her hand. "Hisagi proposed to me!"

Rukia's eyes widened as she saw the beautiful diamond ring on her finger. "Congratulations, you two!"

Matsumoto beamed. "I've never been happier! Finally, I'm about to become Mrs. Rangiku Hisagi!"

Ichigo turned to Hisagi and shook his hand. "Congrats, man."

Hisagi nodded his head with a smile. "Yea, thanks Kurosaki. Looks like you're not gonna be the only captain who's married, huh?"

Ichigo laughed. "Oh yea, you know it."

"Everyone, please go to your places at once so that we can start this meeting!" Yamamoto shouted above the loud conversations in the vast room.

Immediately everyone complied, and when Ichigo took his place beside his wife, a feeling of nervousness rose up within him. If this had something to do with Aizen, then could it be that Aizen is planning to target him as well? That could be the case, and there was no doubt in the captain's mind about that.

"Captains, lieutenants," the old captain-commander's voice echoed throughout the acoustics of the great hall. "This is a serious emergency meeting as you all know. Aizen has finally begun his move."

The captains and lieutenants looked among each other and whispered among themselves until the captain-commander got their attention once again. "He has sent a couple of his remaining espada to invade Karakura Town."

Ichigo froze at the news. _What the fuck? Why? What the hell is going on?_

Rukia stared at her husband for a moment in concern. She knew how much the small town really meant to him, and she could tell that the news was hitting him quite hard.

Yamamoto continued speaking. "I will need a couple of you to stop them immediately before they do any more damage."

"I'll go," Ichigo blurted out immediately, causing everyone to turn towards him. There was a hard expression of determination in his hands as he clenched his fists tightly.

"Ichigo," Rukia whispered almost inaudibly.

"Very well then," Yamamoto said. "Since you were a native of the town, I don't see why not."

"Aizen might be targeting me again," Ichigo said as Rukia gasped. "I just know it," Ichigo's head snapped back up to face his captain-commander, "but that doesn't mean that I'm not going to protect _my_ town from _his_ fucking plans! My sisters, friends, and father are still down there. I _won't_ let them suffer under _his_ bullshit anymore!"

"Fair enough, Kurosaki-Taichou," Yamamoto agreed. "Anyone else?"

"I will," Tatsuki replied. "I love Karakura Town just as much as Ichigo does. I will accompany him." She looked towards Hisagi for permission, which he granted with a nod.

"Alright, Arisawa-Fukutaichou," Yamamoto said. "Renji and Rukia, I want you two to go with them since you are closer to them. There might be a couple of espada, but chances are that Gin might be with them as well."

Matsumoto shuddered at the name. She hasn't forgotten everything that the former captain had done to her. At the same time, Hitsugaya and Hisagi growled.

"Yes, Genryuu-Sou-Taichou," Rukia and Renji said in unison.

Shunsui shook his head in shame. "Oh man, more trouble, huh? He's finally made his move."

"You will leave immediately," Yamamoto said. "Meeting adjourned!"

The loud conversations picked up again, but Ichigo stood there quiet and fists clenched, a hard glare of determination and vengeance showing in his eyes.

Rukia watched him with concern. What if he was right and Aizen was merely using the invasion on Karakura as a trap to lure him there? Rukia could never let that happen to her husband, and she knew that this would hit their son hard as well. Besides, Ichigo was supposed to train him and help him get stronger. She had to do what she can to talk him out of this.

She worked up the nerve to walk up to him and touch his shoulder. "Ichigo," she softly whispered.

"If you _ever_ tell me to back out of this," Ichigo growled, "then you're _sadly_ mistaken."

Rukia took her hand off his shoulder and sighed. "What if you are right? What if Aizen is actually targeting you and trying to lure you?"

Ichigo turned to glare at her, causing her to back away slightly. "What the hell do you _want _me to do, Rukia? You want me to back out of this mission? Innocent lives are at stake right now, and I can't abandon them!"

"Yes, but what about Ryuichi?" Rukia shot back. A glare matching her husband's showed on her face. "You _need _to be there to help him train! What if he finds out that you..."

"Don't you fucking underestimate me, Rukia!" Ichigo argued. "You _know_ me better than that! You _know _that I will always hold my ground, so you better have better faith in me than _that_!"

Rukia sighed. She knew that her husband was right, but what if something _did _happen? She wouldn't forgive herself if anything did happen. 15 years ago, they nearly lost their only son to the evil lord, and the last thing she needed is for her husband to be taken away from her as well. But even still, she did not like to see her husband like this. It was hard on her as well, and she must do whatever she can to support him and have faith him in any way she could.

Renji and Tatsuki joined them. They had overheard some of their argument, and Tatsuki could not help but be concerned for her friend. Even though Renji could not admit it, he was also concerned deep inside as well.

"Ichigo," Tatsuki said as Ichigo turned to face her. "I know your pain. It's bad enough to realize that your family and friends are in danger. That is why Renji and I are going to help you in any way we can."

"And if it makes you feel any better," Renji added, "I can train Ryuichi, should anything happen to you."

Rukia smiled. This was why she had Renji to be her son's godfather. He was like an uncle to the boy after all, and Renji grew very fond of his friends' son. "Thank you, Renji," she said.

"Hey, no problem," Renji replied. "Let's go then, shall we?"

Ichigo smiled as well and nodded. "I appreciate your help, Renji. Let's go, guys."

Simultaneously, they de-materialized and flash-stepped towards the senkaimon to protect the one town that they were sworn to protect.

* * *

Ryuichi opened his eyes slowly to see Hinamori smiling back at him. An unconscious blush rose up in his cheeks as he gazed into her gorgeous eyes for a moment. Realizing what he was doing, he sat up and Hinamori moved to give him some space.

"How are you doing, Ryuichi-kun?" Hinamori asked as the orange-haired teen looked around his surroundings to find that he was still on the 5th Division grounds.

"I'm fine, I guess," he replied, thinking about what happened that caused him to be knocked unconscious. The thought of that made him cringe even harder with shame. He remembered what happened when he failed his training with his father, but add the fact that he was beaten by two siblings whom he could not stand, not to mention the notion of those same siblings learning the names of their zampakutou before he could. The thought was too unbearable to apprehend. The shame was just too terrible...too unbearable. Maybe the horrible things that Ruby was shouting at him when he was being beaten were true.

They sat in silence for a few minutes; Hinamori continuously stared at him with concern. She could only imagine what he would be thinking right now – the shame he was feeling – with that defeated look on his face. And she wanted nothing more than to encourage him...even a little.

She smiled warmly and sympathetically. "It will be okay, Ryuichi-kun."

Ryuichi scoffed. "You saw how much of a failure I was. Dad won't look at me anymore. Maybe Ruby was right, maybe..."

"Stop!" Hinamori interrupted as she made Ryuichi look into her pleading eyes. "That was just one training session. It's never easy to hear your zampakutou spirit speak to you..._never_ is! It will take time. You just have to calm your mind and focus! _Don't_ listen to what Ruby said! Pay _no_ attention to her. Your father is a wonderful man and would never abandon you for _any_ reason. He also has this policy that involves not caring what others think and focus on your destiny and dreams." Hinamori took Ryuichi's hand in hers and held onto it tightly. The younger Kurosaki continued to listen to her intently, absorbing every word she was saying. "You're a Kurosaki, Ryuichi-kun. Live up to it! Strive to do your best and _never_ give up! I _know_ you can do this because I believe in you."

Hinamori's words gave Ryuichi new hope, and they also deepened his feelings for her. He wanted to kiss her right there and now – her lips were too tempting and her grip on his hand wasn't helping either. However, he knew it would not be proper, especially to her.

A determined look replaced the defeated one as he looked at her square in the eyes. "You're right, Hinamori-san. Thank you...for everything."

Hinamori beamed. "No problem, Ryuichi-kun."

Ryuichi stood up and smiled at her for a moment, but then he frowned as he remembered something. "You're not going to tell Dad what happened today, are you?"

Hinamori giggled. "Don't worry. Even if I did tell him, however, he would tell you the same thing that I did. In fact, he had always gotten beaten up before – the same way you did actually. But, knowing him, he always got up and pushed forward like it was nothing. Your mother is very lucky to have him."

Ryuichi smiled once again as he sheathed his katana. "Yea, I suppose you're right. Well, I gotta head back home since I know that meeting would be practically finished by now. See you around, Hinamori-san...and thanks again."

"Not a problem at all, Ryuichi-kun. Take care now!"

After one final wave, they walked their separate ways. As Ryuichi walked towards his house, a new light shone within him as he knew what he would do. However, that did not last for long because he sensed his parents' reiatsu, as well as that from his godparents, heading towards the Senkaimon gate.

* * *

_**Next on Inherited Nightmares...**_

_Ichigo glared at Gin Ichimaru, who grinned his eerie grin right back at him. That smile always gave him the creeps, especially when he was planning on something malicious._

"_I'm givin' you a choice, Kurosaki-san," Gin said darkly, "either allow us to destroy this wonderful town of yours or allow us to escort you to Aizen-sama."_

_Ichigo's eyes widened with fury. "NEVER!" He drew his zampakutou and charged towards his adversary head-on.

* * *

_

Hey everyone! I thought that I would do the small showdown at Karakura in this chapter initially, but I figured it would be better to end everything now and do the Karakura fights next chapter. After all, I am wary of my 10-minute time limit for the video versions.

Speaking of which, I have started the trailer and am going to get clips for it. For those of you who are familiar with the show Reboot, it will sort of be in the same format: main character talks a little about himself, theme comes up, main character finishes his speech. I find it pretty cool so I figured I could do this with the trailer. I can't wait to see how it would turn out, hehe.

In the meantime, please let me know what you think! Take care!


	4. Family Torn Apart

Hey guys! Sorry about the delay, hehe. I've been busy for the past few weeks with people coming from out of town as well as some writer's block, but I hope that this chapter was worth the wait.

My friend, who created Jade and Ruby, succeeded in finding someone who draw Ruby and Jade for the video versions. Since he wants her to take her time on the pictures to make them look good, the video versions will be delayed. In the meantime, the trailer is slowly getting there. I just need to get the right clips for it. Believe me, finding several clips out of 283 episodes isn't easy, lol, especially when you want to make a 2-minute trailer. So I apologize for any inconvenience.

I'm also working on another story at the same time as this. It is a one-shot Hisagi x Matsumoto story entitled Every Rose Has Its Thorn. No, it's not a songfic based on the song of the same name by Poison, but it is sort of based on a couple of lines of the song. The plot goes like this: after a horrific encounter with her ex boyfriend (Gin), Matsumoto vows to never be involved with men again, even though her life was saved by Hisagi Shuheii. Hisagi, on the other hand, loves her and would do anything to prove to her that not all men are bad. By the way, this story is an AU.

Anyway, on with this current story!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own any of the characters in Bleach or Ruby and Jade Carmine. Ruby and Jade are owned by Kung Man149 and the name of Tatsuki's zampakutou is also owned by him as well since that was an initial zampakutou name for the one owned by Ruby. However, I do own Aiko and Ryuichi Kurosaki.

* * *

**Chapter 4: Family Torn Apart **

The Carmine siblings were walking back towards home when Ruby suddenly spoke up in a seemingly sombre tone. "Do you think we did the right thing?"

Jade eyed her inquisitively. "What do you mean Ruby?"

Ruby sighed. "Well I mean we nearly killed him and I'm starting to feel bad. I mean, he may be an overzealous asshole at times, but he's still a part of our division...not to mention he is Kurosaki-Taichou and Kurosaki-Fukutaichou's son. I just can't help thinking about what Hinamori-san had yelled at us about how it was Kurosaki-Taichou's dream to create a better division for everyone. With that notion, I have feeling that we might have screwed up."

Jade sneered. "Don't tell me you have feelings for that weak idiot."

Ruby's eyes widened. "How _dare_ you call him weak? And I'm not saying this because I have feelings for him. I'm saying this because I'm starting to feel bad about what we did."

"He attacked us, Ruby," Jade pointed out. "Also, he's an insignificant brat who should really know how to settle his temper."

"Well, _maybe_ there were lots of things going on in his mind and we just had to provoke him to attack us like what he did!" Ruby shot back angrily. "Like his father for instance. I never meant what I said about the reason he left. I know the real reason why he left in the first place, and it was for an emergency meeting regarding an asshole who used to be this division's captain."

Jade rolled his eyes. "Whatever, Ruby. Like I even care anyway..."

Ruby stopped walking just enough for her brother to pass her and clenched her fists tightly. In fact, she could not understand her change of mind. Ever since she laid eyes on Ryuichi, she viewed him as someone who would always get in her way. But when she saw the fire in his eyes when he fought her and her brother and when he was determined to keep going in his training after he was knocked down by his father, her view changed. She saw a strong, resilient spirit within him that kept him going no matter what.

Her brother's voice broke her out of her thoughts. "You coming or what?"

She sighed and ran off to follow her brother, cursing herself for the wrong that she and her brother had done.

* * *

Elsewhere, Ryuichi was running through the streets, with so many thoughts going through his mind. What is going on? Why did he feel his parents and godparents' reiatsu at the Senkaimon? Where are they going?

He arrived at the spiritual gate just in time to see it close shut behind. However, there were a couple of guards stationed on either side of the gate. Maybe they would know what was going.

"Hey!" Ryuichi exclaimed, panting out of breath.

"You're a little late," one of the guards said, knowing fully well who he was. "Your parents just left in a matter of seconds."

"Where?" Ryuichi demanded.

"Karakura," the other guard replied.

"Why?"

"On a special mission to stop a couple of Aizen's espada from invading," the first guard that spoke replied.

Ryuichi froze. So this bastard has begun his move in Karakura? Why hasn't he been informed of this before?

"Your parents had to leave immediately," the second guard said as though he were reading the boy's thoughts. "That was why they couldn't tell you, but don't worry. They will come back soon."

Ryuichi sighed. "Alright. Thanks anyway."

Then he flash-stepped towards his uncle's to pick up his little sister before heading home.

* * *

A pair of large Japanese-style doors opened and four hell butterflies flew through, accompanied by Ichigo, Rukia, Tatsuki, and Renji. The doors disappeared as soon as they were completely in view.

Ichigo's eyes narrowed as he saw the heavy damage that had already been dealt. He hoped that no one, not even his friends or family, would have been hurt by the horrible destruction being caused by those monsters because if they were, then there would be even greater hell to pay.

Tatsuki was also hit hard by the shocking sight. Like her childhood friend, she also hoped that no one was hurt, and she was ready for any ambush that might happen in the next few moments.

Rukia was just as shocked as her husband and friend, even though this was not new to her. "I hope that Yuzu, Karin, Isshin, and the rest of our friends aren't affected by this..." she trailed off, already realizing that her husband and friend were thinking the same thing.

Renji was fully alert just in case if an espada would ambush them. "The espada are hiding somewhere," he pointed out, "nearby."

"Then we have to be ready when they _do_ ambush us," Ichigo said, starting to slowly step through the ruins. Then he turned to face his group. "Rukia and I will search on the left side; you and Tatsuki will search on the right. As soon as you see them, start fighting right away. However, I do not want any casualties so try to survive."

Renji smirked and nodded. "Heh, you're not the only captain here, Ichigo."

"I'm serious," Ichigo said with a glare. "This is bad enough as it is."

Renji frowned, understanding where his friend was coming from on this. "Alright, don't worry. See you soon!" He and Tatsuki flash-stepped towards the right side of the town.

Ichigo turned towards his wife. "Let's go, Rukia."

Rukia nodded. "Ichigo, I just want to apologize..."

Ichigo smirked slightly and interrupted, "Don't. You were right to be worried. You're my wife, remember? Besides, even if they _were_ to target me, I wouldn't let them capture me or worse. I'm better than that."

A new wave of hope washed over Rukia as she smiled. "You're right, hun."

"Let's go," Ichigo suggested and the two wandered through the wreckage, trying to find where the espada had hidden.

And that was when they were attacked by Gin Ichimaru's Shinsou. They dodged the attack within seconds.

Ichigo glared at Gin Ichimaru, who grinned his eerie grin right back at him. That smile always gave him the creeps, especially when he was planning on something malicious.

"I'm givin' ya a choice, Kurosaki-san," Gin said darkly, "either allow us to destroy this wonderful town of yers or allow us to escort ya to Aizen-sama."

Ichigo's eyes widened with fury. "NEVER!" He drew his zampakutou and charged towards his adversary head-on.

* * *

Darting through the rubble like a couple of ninjas, Tatsuki and Renji were on an alert for any espada that they might come across.

Sure enough, they spotted Yammy and Stark standing in the centre, ready to attack anything that came their way, and hid behind several buildings. A girl who looked no older than 13, despite being an arrancar, was standing with them.

They could not comprehend why such a young girl would be standing with them. Even Tatsuki was disgusted by the sight. "Okay, I hate this bastard more than anything now."

"Don't underestimate her," Renji advised, not taking his eyes off the group. "You would never know what she might be capable of. In fact, I heard from Shunsui that she and that lazy guy," he pointed towards Stark, "are quite a deadly duo. They almost killed him in the first war."

Tatsuki's eyes widened slightly. "You serious? That little girl? So powerful?"

Renji nodded. He narrowed his eyes at Yammy and remembered the first encounter he had with him. He, Rukia, Ishida, and Chad were no match for the giant espada's horrendously large size and were lucky to have been saved by Byakuya and Zaraki. Then again, he was more powerful than he was back then and he was now a captain. So nothing, not even an oversized espada, could defeat him that easily anymore.

"So what's your plan, Abarai-Taichou?" Tatsuki asked.

However, before Renji could speak, he could hear Yammy say, "Y'know, Stark? I could sense a couple of insects not far away. We should squish them." He rubbed his hands together in glee.

Stark rolled his eyes. "Could that be our target?"

Yammy frowned. "Nah, one's a captain no doubt and the other is a lieutenant, but they're weaker than the rat that we came here to flush out."

The smaller espada rolled his eyes again. He hated to waste his time on what Ulquiorra used to say, trash.

"Well, _I_ think it's fun!" Lilinette piped in. "By the way, Ichimaru-sama is taking care of our target as we speak. So, at least we will get to fight _something_ at least."

"Ah man!" Yammy complained. "I wanted to get the glory. Ah well, this shouldn't be too long, even though it is going to be so _boring_."

Since they overheard enough of the espadas' conversation, Tatsuki and Renji nodded towards each other and flash-stepped towards the group.

Yammy's frown turned into a giant grin as he recognized the intruders. "Well, well, well. Two familiar faces! Ya goin' to run away again, redhead?"

Renji sneered. "Not this time. As you can see, I'm a captain now and I am definitely stronger than I was the last time we fought." Then he smirked just as wide as the large espada's. "So I think I can defeat you now."

Yammy boomed with laughter. "Come and get it, you insect!"

Renji growled as he drew his zampakutou and yelled, "Howl, Zabimaru!" The blade detached itself into a whip-like formation, slicing through the air towards its opponent, who drew his unreleased zampakutou just in time to block the attack.

Tatsuki glared at the other espada, who was accompanied by a smirking Lilinette, and drew her zampakutou. "Separate, Hosigaki Hoshimotto!" The katana split into two razor-sharp, three-pronged Sai blades.

Lilinette was about to step in to fight until Stark held her back. "I'll take care of this one for now." The little girl pouted and stepped aside so that her companion could fight.

Stark drew his katana and stared coolly at his opponent in front of him. "You look like you're new to this business."

"Oh shut up!" Tatsuki snapped. "I don't _care_ about introductions. Let's get this started!"

Stark sighed. "Very well then, but I thought I should let you know that I am the Primera Espada, the first and strongest espada that was ever created." He took off one of his gloves to show the large "1" tattooed on the back of his hand. "So your luck had ended when you decided to face me."

"Again," Tatsuki spat, "shut the fuck up and let's fight! I don't care about this whole rank crap!"

"Very well."

The two stared at each other for a moment before charging towards each other, swiftly attacking and blocking each other's movements. Tatsuki alternated each hand whenever she blocked and attacked with her blades, and Stark blocked and countered with as much speed and accuracy.

Lilinette was impressed by the speed they were going at. "You can beat her, Stark!" She cheered silently to herself. "I believe in you!"

* * *

Rukia stood off to the side as she watched her husband fight with Gin. Even though she was still worried deep inside, she knew she had a lot of faith for her husband. It was the fact that her husband's worries were confirmed that caused her worries to elevate as well. She prayed Ichigo would defeat his opponent so that they can return home.

Another thought entered her mind. She knew that they did not tell Ryuichi about what was going on, but whatever would happen, the boy should remain strong.

Ichigo dodged every extension before it reached him with perfect speed and attempted to counter with any attack possible. However, Gin kept on flash-stepping several paces away, frustrating the young captain to no end.

"Hold still, you cowardly asshole!" Ichigo yelled as he dodged another attack.

Gin's smile grew wider as he discretely took out a syringe from his robes. "You belong to Aizen-sama now, Kurosaki-Taichou," he said darkly to himself, "you had always been and always will belong to Aizen-sama. At first you were his research subject, now yer gonna be his weapon." He put the syringe in the palm of his sword-wielding hand – with the needle point facing outward - chuckling to himself as he watched his opponent attempt to attack him, zampakutou raised.

Before Ichigo could finalize his attack, his eyes widened and he froze as pain pierced his body. He looked down in shock, only to find the small zampakutou and the small syringe in his side. Gin had dodged the attack made on him and within a matter of seconds had stabbed both his sword and the syringe simultaneously into his opponent's side, smiling triumphantly.

Ichigo's hands shook and they loosened their grip on Zangetsu as he tried to fight off the darkness. "D-damn it!" he hissed.

Gin chuckled. "It's futile to fight off the effects. I just drugged you with a strong narcotic. You're coming with us, whether you like it or not."

True to Gin's words, Ichigo could not hold off the effects of the drug any longer. He fell unconsciousness in his opponent's arms and his zampakutou fell from his fingertips.

Down below, Rukia's eyes widened in horror from the sight. How could this be? What did Gin do? Was there some kind of drug involved? Her fists shook in anger as she tried to fight off her tears. Whatever she had to do, she had to do it now.

In a fit of rage, she wielded her zampakutou and flew up into the air, screaming Gin's name in a voice laced with more severity than fury. All she had to do was fight off Gin and get her husband back, but was it possible? She had to try.

Gin's smile remained unchanged on his face. Removing the small blade from the unconscious captain over his shoulders, he pointed it straight toward Rukia, whispering, "Shoot her to death, Shinsou!"

The blade extended towards her, intending to pierce her through, but Rukia dodged before that could happen. She countered with a slash of her katana, not caring that the shikai was not released yet.

Gin dodged the attack easily, but Rukia was not finished just yet. She made a circular motion with her blade in front of her, releasing the pristine white surface and ribbon, and touched the blade in several points on the ground in front of her. Her voice shaking with rage and tears threatening to spill out, she shouted, "Tsugi no Mai – Hakuren!"

Four powerful ice beams exploded outwards towards their target, which dematerialized before they could reach him. "Yer almost forgettin', dear Rukia," Gin shouted, "Yer precious husband is lyin' unconscious on my shoulders. In other words, any attack that ya try to put on me will affect yer dearest husband as well. Don't ya _want_ that to happen? For all we care, I could just easily use him as a shield, if Aizen-sama wasn't still so dang interested in utilizin' him fer his own needs."

Rukia's eyes widened once again. She was stuck between a rock and a hard place. If she tried to attack Gin with all she had, the attacks would affect her husband as well, increasing the damage that was already dealt. However, if she did nothing, then her husband would be taken from her. She could not think about the horrible things that Aizen would do to him.

"Well?" Gin asked, grinning maliciously with his verbal attacks on Rukia's only weakness. "What'cha gonna do, Rukia-chan? Stuck between a rock 'n a hard place, ain't ya? Too bad!" He laughed at Rukia's defeated look. "Since ya can't attack yer dearest husband, he will be taken back to Aizen-sama. That's another loss fer ya! Ha!"

The sky opened up overhead, releasing a golden beam of light on top of Gin. "Well, Rukia-chan, that's my cue to leave. Say bye-bye to yer dearest! Ha!"

Knowing there was nothing she could do, Rukia let the tears fall as she lowered herself to the ground, watching the horrible sight of her husband being dragged off into Hueco Mundo. She fell to her knees in despair, dropping her katana in front of her. All around her, rain pounded the ground. She screamed in agony, tears streaming down her cheeks and mixing with the rain. She pounded her fists against the cracked concrete, cursing herself with every breath she had in her body.

* * *

Meanwhile, Renji struggled to land attacks on his giant opponent and to dodge every heavy blow of Yammy's giant fists and the quick firings of Yammy's Bala technique. However, no matter what he did, he could not make a scratch. It was just as bad as his last encounter with the giant espada.

Yammy, on the other hand, kept enticing the red-haired captain, taunting him and laughing at him with every blow he tried to give his opponent.

With one giant swing of the large snake, Renji tried to target it towards Yammy's head, yelling, "Hikotsu Taiho!"

However, Yammy swatted it away as though it were nothing. "C'mon, you little insect!" He roared, booming with laughter. "You can do better than that! I'll just squish you like the little bug you are! Hahaha!"

Before he could make his words a reality, a golden beam of light separated him from his opponent. Yammy looked up with annoyance. "Aw man! Already? I was about to squish ya!" Then he averted his gaze towards a growling Renji and snickered. "Oh well," he said, "at least we managed to capture yer friend. The next time ya see him, he'll be under Aizen-sama's control!"

The espada's words made Renji's eyes widen. Was he talking about Ichigo? If that were true, then Ichigo's predictions were correct. He remembered what he had promised his friend and he was more than determined to make that promise a reality, but he would not like breaking the news to his friend's son. His hands clenched into fists and he clenched his teeth tightly.

He also thought about Rukia, probably crying in agony. Renji cursed silently to himself at this thought. He knew his childhood friend loved Ichigo, and he knew how disheartened she would be when anything would happen to those she loved. Her heart broke when Aizen had Yuzu take her son away 15 years ago, and now, 15 years later, her husband had been taken away from her. Renji knew that that would be an even worse pain for his friend.

He continued to growl as he saw his adversary rise up into the air. "Don't worry, Ichigo,"He whispered, tightening his fists even more, "I'll do what I can to train Ryuichi, and then we're taking you back!"

* * *

Tatsuki aggressively twisted and turned as she blocked and countered Stark's movements. Something about the way he attacked just seemed lazy to her and lacked energy, but why couldn't she land a critical hit? She managed to land several shallow cuts on her opponent's body, and two sai were enough to fully defend herself from any attack dealt to her.

She also could not fathom why that little girl was there, watching them fight one another. Renji had told her that she and her opponent were a deadly duo when fighting each other, and yet here she was fighting Stark when his fraccion just watched from a distance. Was that because her opponent wanted to handle things on his own? Or was there a different reason?

Stark attempted to sweep his katana across his opponent's stomach with the hope of slicing her in two, but with perfect reactivity, Tatsuki managed to dodge the attack and tried to counter with a slice across the espada's chest. However, Stark used sonido to dodge the technique and attempted to swipe his katana through Tatsuki's head.

The lieutenant thought fast. Putting her sai in a crisscross formation, she blocked the katana, placing it neatly between two prongs of the weapons. She twisted her body clockwise, managing to loosen her opponent's grip on his sword and kicking his body outward to complete the disarm. She flicked the katana away and pointed one of her sai in a threatening motion towards her unarmed adversary, smirking in triumph.

Stark just stared at her without any emotion whatsoever, as though he did not care that he had just been disarmed.

Lilinette raised an eyebrow at the lieutenant's actions. "She's good," she whispered to herself, "but she won't be good enough when I'm fighting with Stark." Then she elevated her tone to a shout. "Hey Stark!"

Both Stark and Tatsuki turned around to face her. "I'm busy, Lilinette," Stark said in a cold, monotone voice."

"Um...actually no," Lilinette contradicted, her hands on her hips. "She just disarmed you. Let's join forces for your resurreccion! Together we can beat her and..."

"Didn't I fucking tell you to stay out of this and let me handle it?" Stark snapped, spitting to the side. Just before his fraccion could protest, he continued, "Don't you think I _know_ that this bitch had disarmed me? Mind your own business, Lilinette!"

"Meanie!" Lilinette childishly stuck out her tongue. Stark ignored her actions, focusing entirely on his opponent who was about to make her move.

"Too bad," Tatsuki said as she started to break off into a run, sai held out on either side of her. "You should have listened to your little friend when you had the chance!"

"Stark! You idiot! Get your katana before it's too late!" Lilinette called.

However, before she and Stark could realize it, two beams of light shot down on them, enveloping each of them with their golden walls. Lilinette breathed a sigh of relief.

Stark held out his hand and his katana came flying past Tatsuki and through a gap in the negacion beam. He sheathed his sword and stared at Tatsuki, who stared back at him with shocked eyes. "You could have had me when you had the chance, lieutenant!" Stark shouted, "But maybe next time!"

Tatsuki remembered Renji telling her that a golden beam of light, called a negacion beam, would shoot down from Hueco Mundo to pick up its inhabitants – usually to either rescue them or retrieve them upon completion of a mission. The latter option widened her eyes further. Mission? What mission?

Then it hit her. _Ichigo? _They were after _Ichigo_ all along?

She tried to pick up his reiatsu, secretly praying that she was wrong. However, all what she could pick up were Rukia's reiatsu and Renji's, but not Ichigo. Chest heaving with stress of the situation, Tatsuki shook her eyes vigorously – memories of her friend flowing through her mind. _No! _She struggled to keep her tears from flowing as her hands tightened on her sai in frustration.

Renji rushed up to her, knowing fully well on how this situation would also affect her. "Tatsuki!"

Tatsuki snapped back to reality and turned to her boyfriend, holding her sai in one hand so that they could revert to her katana. She sheathed it immediately. "Renji! Is it true?"

Knowing what his girlfriend was asking, Renji shook his head sadly. "I'm sorry, Tatsuki, but...they've captured him."

Her tears slipped from her eyes as she threw her arms around her boyfriend's neck, sobbing into his shoulders. Renji sighed as he affectionately caressed her back. "Don't worry," he assured her, "We _will_ get him back. For now, however," he parted slightly from her so that he could gaze into his eyes, "let's get Rukia and head home. At least...his sisters and Jinta are all right."

Tatsuki nodded as her boyfriend gently wiped her tears away. "I just don't want to imagine how the kids will react when they find out that their father has been..." She did not want to say the word. It was too painful for both of them already.

Renji nodded. "I know, but I had promised him that I would train Ryuichi...and I plan to live up to that promise."

Tatsuki stopped her crying and gazed at her boyfriend with determination in her eyes and a smile on her face. Even in her vulnerable times, she was thankful for Renji to be there with her. He was her beacon of hope, and that notion was all she needed in this dark time.

Renji held her close to his chest and kissed her lips gently, caressing her back with all the affection he could muster. Tatsuki returned the kiss, ignoring the cold rain that splashed mercilessly against their skin. For a time, she could forget everything that had happened around her; it was only she and Renji that mattered in that one short minute of bliss.

Slowly, they parted lips and gazed into each other's eyes for a moment. Then they took each other's hands and flash-stepped towards Rukia, eager to comfort her in her time of agonizing torment. After all, she was the one that needed it the most.

* * *

_**Next time on Inherited Nightmares...**_

_Rukia stared at her subordinates for a moment, gathering her words together for what she was about to say. She had done something like this a million times before, so why was she having a hard time doing this? The answer was simple: her husband; one of the few people who mattered most to her, who completed her in every way; was locked away in some cell in Hueco Mundo right now, and she knew that her subordinates – especially Ryuichi – would not take too kindly to this. _

_However, Tatsuki, Renji, and Hinamori were beside her for emotional support, ready to comfort her just in case.

* * *

_

Poor Rukia and Tatsuki! Don't worry, guys, they'll get Ichigo back...one way or another. It won't happen for a while though, so you guys just have to wait and see!

Next chapter, however, I'm going to bring back Neliel and Grimmjow. Although they won't have as big of a role as they had in Incomplete Sorrows, they will still be important assets to the story. Since they are rogue espada now, they will do what they can to help the good guys get their hero back. Definitely sounds exciting.

As for the trailer, it is out and you will see it here:

youtube(dot)com/watch?v=E6v5_P_HkI

Sorry about my voice being a bit too loud in the intro though, hehe. I'm used to speaking really close to the microphone; it's a habit .

I will also have the Hisagi x Matsumoto story done hopefully this week as well. It's a pretty dark story, but I'm sure you'll love it (hopefully anyway).

In the meantime, however, please review and let me know what you think of this chapter!

Until next time, people, take care! :D


	5. Breaking the News

Hey everyone! Sorry about the delay, as I was writing the HisaMatsu story as well as another story, which is only available on my Facebook page. I was also busy making an IchiRuki AMV, which is finished and uploaded on Youtube now. On top of that, I've been job searching as well, which is really tough at the moment .

Anyway, I do have to warn you guys that Rukia might be a bit out of character in this one, but who can blame her really?

Hope you guys enjoy =)

* * *

**Chapter 5: Breaking the News**

In a remote area of Hueco Mundo, a familiar female espada ran over to a cave where her love and fraccion were waiting for her, eyes full of fear and shock from what she had witnessed.

Neliel Tu Odershvank, her fraccion Pesche and Dondochakka, and Grimmjow Jeagerjacques had been taking turns spying on Las Noches for a while now, wondering what sinister plan Aizen was thinking of next. Until today, they did not witness anything out of the ordinary, but when Neliel saw the horrible site of Ichigo Kurosaki being carried inside the looming fortress, she knew there was trouble.

She arrived at the cave just in time to see her mate finish off the last remaining hollow that attacked their home.

Several times a day, hollows would attack their little cave, hoping to catch their next meal. However, they were no match for Grimmjow, who would finish them off instantly. They were mainly small fry – weak, unintelligent hollows who were hoping to eat an espada in order to gain their powers. Only rarely would Grimmjow fight off a Gillian-type or Adjucha-type Menos. The former espada deemed it some sort of training to defend his home as he hoped to one day overthrow Aizen once and for all and take over the throne as King of Los Noches.

As usual, Dondochakka and Pesche would watch their comrade defeat the intruding hollows with interest, instead of cowering in fear like they always did.

When Neliel arrived at the cave, her fraccion rushed over to greet her before noticing her shock in her panting and in her eyes.

"What's wrong, Neliel-sama?" Pesche asked, resting a hand on his mistress's shoulder to calm her down.

"Is Aizen concoctin' something terrible, don'tcha know?" Dondochakka piped in from behind Pesche.

Grimmjow, who had also noticed Neliel's arrival, rushed over to join the group. "What happened?" He wanted to know, hoping that he would finally get some answers to what Aizen is up to.

It took a while for Neliel to catch her breath and she looked at her boyfriend square in the eye. "Aizen has captured Ichigo Kurosaki."

Grimmjow raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"It's true. I saw Gin Ichimaru, Yammy, Stark and his fraccion Lilinette. Ichimaru was carrying Ichigo over his shoulders, and...Ichigo was unconscious..." Neliel tightened her hands into fists as she looked down, gritting her teeth in anger and sorrow.

"And you're sure?"

"Yes," Neliel said quickly as she locked her eyes with Grimmjow's yet again. "Aizen is planning something that has to do with Ichigo...once again."

"I wonder what that could be," Pesche pondered. Dondochakka stared into space in thought as well.

"Well, whatever it is, we have to stop him," Grimmjow said. "Surely, his friends know what's going on. Even though I don't like helping his friends that much, we're still on their side. They'll be arriving very soon, and when they do, we'll be ready to assist them in any way."

Neliel nodded in agreement. She was glad that Grimmjow had switched sides shortly before the second war happened. After all, he was rebelling against Aizen from the very beginning and had proved that he was an asset to anyone who was Aizen's enemy, even the shinigami. Now they will once again help their shinigami friends, and she was looking forward to every moment of it.

* * *

Meanwhile, in Soul Society, Rukia stared at her subordinates for a moment, gathering her words together for what she was about to say. She had done something like this a million times before, so why was she having a hard time doing this? The answer was simple: her husband; one of the few people who mattered most to her, who completed her in every way; was probably locked away in some cell in Hueco Mundo right now, and she knew that her subordinates – especially Ryuichi – would not take too kindly to this.

However, Tatsuki, Renji, and Hinamori were beside her for emotional support, ready to comfort her just in case.

When Hinamori learned of the horrible news, she flung her arms around Rukia's neck, sobbing her apologies and trying to be as comforting as she could. Rukia just smiled sadly and assured her friend and third seat that she will be all right and they will get Ichigo back soon.

However, Renji was the only one who saw past his friend's facade. He knew that she was breaking inside and beating herself up for what happened. If only he would tell her that it was not her fault. It was bad enough to see her like this.

So here she stood in front of about a hundred members of their division, gathering up her words carefully. Ryuichi watched his mother, waiting for news about his father.

When she finally spoke, a gloomier atmosphere emerged in the area. "Our captain, Kurosaki Ichigo, had been captured by the enemy."

Gasps and chatter erupted between her subordinates – with their eyes full of shock and despair for their leader.

Ryuichi was struck the hardest. It can't be! His eyes widened as his body froze in his spot and his hands clenched into fists. It can't be true! He refused to believe it.

That was until Rukia continued to speak. "Before any of you ask, it _did_ happen. He was fighting Gin Ichimaru, who used something to knock him out. I...tried to get him back, but Ichimaru attacked my weakness by warning me that any attack I try to do will bring more harm." She bowed her head in defeat and shame. "Then he carried him off to Hueco Mundo." She looked back up into the silent crowd, landing her eyes on her shocked son as she saw the anger arise in his eyes. "But I, including other people, will do what we can to get him back. I promise. We will _fight_ to get him back. No one knows what Aizen has planned, but I will do _anything_ I can to make sure that Ichigo is back here where he belongs." She averted her eyes to the rest of the group. "This is my promise, and I advise all of you to have faith that your captain will be home where he belongs. You may be dismissed."

She turned abruptly when she felt more tears drip down her face, not wanting anyone to see the sorrow that tried to break through her tough exterior.

Ryuichi growled silently as he absorbed everything his mother had said. He hated to see his mother like this, and he knew that it was not her fault. With this reason, he will do whatever he can to get stronger so that he can help get his father back.

Renji stepped over to him and put a hand on his shoulder. "I know what you're probably thinking," he trailed off. Ryuichi said nothing, so Renji continued. "Before we left for our mission, I promised your father that I will train you...should anything happen to him." Then he smiled. "I'm a good teacher...honest. I'll help you earn the shikai level of your zampakutou."

Ryuichi averted his eyes to his godfather's. "Really?"

Renji nodded. "I'll do what I can. I know how much you want to help your father right now – and your mother as well – so I will do anything I can in my power to help you attain the strength you need in order to do so."

Determination showed in the younger man's eyes. "When will you train me? And where?"

"First thing tomorrow morning," Renji replied, "at my barracks."

Ryuichi nodded and smirked. "Thanks Renji."

Renji matched the boy's smirk. "Yea, no problem."

Meanwhile, Ruby watched them from several kilometres away. She knew that Ryuichi would not forgive her for what she and her brother had done before, and she could not help but feel so sorry for him. After all, she knew what it was like to lose a parent – even though hers was a different story.

Jade glared at her. "Why do you feel so remorse for such a lower class fool?"

Ruby shot her brother a look to kill. "Isn't it _fucking _obvious, Jade? His father had been captured by the enemy!"

Jade sneered. "Heh...serves him right."

That was when Ruby snapped. Tightening her hands into fists, she sent a full-force punch flying towards her brother's jaw, knocking him back a couple feet away. Several subordinates looked their way to see what the commotion was all about.

"You bitch!" Jade cursed as he rubbed his jaw. "What the fuck was that for?"

"Guess!" Ruby replied, seething in anger and ready to land another punch. "You _never_ had _any_ remorse for _anything_! It pisses me off!"

Jade held onto the hilt of his katana. "Yea well, your 'conscience' sickens me." He drew his sword, much to his sister's and the nearby subordinates' shock. "Let's test it right now, shall we?"

Ruby growled. Even though she had a strong conscience, she would _never_ let anyone – not even her brother – push her around and insult everything she cared about. She had seen that too much, and she knew that it was time to sort things out once and for all.

She quickly drew her katana and charged her brother, slashing the blade forward. Jade blocked and countered with another forward slash. Ruby blocked and countered with another slash.

After a few attempted blows back and forth, they cross swords and stalled one another. While Ruby growled in fury, Jade, having no emotions whatsoever, kept a calm, emotionless stare.

He sent a piercing side kick to her stomach, knocking her to the ground with a grunt. "You've gotten better, dear sister," he said as he held his blade in front of him, "but it's time I turn things up and show you what I'm _truly_ capable of."

Ruby widened her eyes. What the fuck is he going to do? She knew that releasing one's zampakutou in Sereitei was forbidden unless it was a dire emergency, and this was no emergency. She slowly stood up from the ground and watched her brother release his zampakutou in front of her eyes.

He held his katana with both hands – one hand on the hilt and the other on the blade. "Resonate, Denkimaru."

A large amount of reiatsu swirled around the blade, causing Ruby to jump back a couple feet.

It was not long until she saw the released form of her brother's zampakutou. It was a large black and gold guitar with a crescent moon blade at the base of the body fastened to a chain. "So...That's...Denkimaru..." She said incredulously.

Nearby, their fellow division members talked among themselves while staring at the sight in a daze.

Rukia, who was standing with Hinamori at that time, turned around slowly just in time to witness Jade's shikai. "Oh give me a break..." She hissed as her eyes narrowed. "Someone's going to be in trouble."

"Scared yet...Ruby?" Jade replied with a slight tone of satisfaction in his voice, signaling that he was going to go all out.

He then played a few notes with which the crescent moon blade came to life and charged at Ruby, who dodged it right away but just barely.

She held her katana in front of her and shouted, "Spread your blazing wings, Hiryuu!" Black fire spread outward throughout the blade, engulfing and dissolving it within the eerie flames.

A look of shock showed through Rukia's face. She had to do something to stop them so that they will not disrupt any peace. Also, she was not in the mood either.

A confident smirk spread across her face. "Now," she said with her voice dark, "you die...Jade. Hien Messhoujin!" A crimson blast of fiery energy exploded outward towards Jade, who quickly played several notes on the guitar, causing a blast of sonic energy to rip through the crimson aura. This caused it to dissipate immediately.

"ENOUGH YOU TWO!" A familiar, shrill voice sounded from nearby, causing both siblings to stop their fighting immediately and turn their heads towards to the source of the voice.

There, standing with Renji and Hinamori, was Rukia. She was seething with anger – her fists and teeth clenched tightly. There was a furious rage in her eyes that no one, not even Renji, had seen before.

Jade and Ruby stood up immediately with abrupt attention but they had both been caught.

Renji watched them incredulously. "Could these kids be capable of that so soon? I mean what we just saw."

Without looking at him, Rukia replied, "...Well, Renji...the proof is there...but they are still in huge shit."

The tone in her voice made Renji gulp. She can be quite scary when she's pissed off.

A glare intensified in Rukia's eyes as she spoke accusingly. "Ruby! Jade! Even though you two have excelled in your shikai, it is still a crime to release them without direct permission or any kind of emergency." She turned towards a couple of the subordinates who had watched the brief fight. "You two, come over here and lock these two up."

Jade raised an eyebrow and Ruby gasped. "What?"

"You heard me," Rukia replied impatiently. "You have deliberately served in violation of your orders! So, therefore, you must be punished."

Ruby sheathed her zampakutou and walked towards them, whereas Jade kept his zampakutou out. "Catch me if you can," he said as he flash-stepped away.

Ruby widened her eyes in a panic. She turned towards her superior. "Permission to give chase?"

Rukia shook her head and turned towards Renji. "He's yours."

"Damn kid..." Renji grumbled. "Fine, I'll give chase."

Ruby frowned and closed her eyes in defeat and shame. "We're both sorry, Kurosaki-Fukutaichou."

The subordinates confiscated her katana and held her arms behind her back. Rukia gave a cold stare. "You'll be locked up for the night. I'll send for you when I'm ready. Take her away."

The subordinates did as they were told and Rukia averted her eyes towards the sky with a sigh. "Ichigo..."

While Ruby was being carried off, she looked towards Ryuichi who was watching her. _I promise that I'm going to make it up to you,_ she thought to herself. _No one deserves to feel this way, and _no one_ deserves what Jade and I had done to you. Good luck, Ryuichi.

* * *

_

Renji darted through streets and jumped over buildings, attempting to keep up with the swift fugitive known as Jade Carlisle. "Damn! This kid's fast!" He exclaimed to himself with a growl as he made every curve possible to match his target's movements. "His speeds rival even that of Tai..." He stopped himself there, remembering that Byakuya was no longer his captain. "Byakuya, and he's just about as fast as Ichigo in his bankai form."

They raced towards the gate that would separate Rukongai from Sereitei. Renji narrowed his eyes as he smirked. "Trapped! You're mine, kid!"

Jade stopped when he got to the gate, realizing that there was no way out. After all, the seki-seki mineral making up the solid walls absorbs any kind of reiatsu that tries to passes through. Over top and down below, there was a force field that emanated from the seki-seki material. The only way to escape this now, Jade realized, is to stand his ground.

He turned around to face his assailant, who stopped in front of him.

"Come with me, Jade," Renji persuaded. "Don't make this any harder for yourself."

"You can't tell me what to do," Jade calmly contradicted.

Renji made a noise in the back of his throat. "In case you haven't noticed," he pointed to his haori, "_I_ am a captain. I have _every_ right to tell you what to do. Now come along. Don't make me drag you back by force." He drew his zampakutou threateningly.

Jade's eyes narrowed. "Very well," he said, "let's see if you can stand up to me."

He played several riffs on his guitar-like weapon, mobilizing the blade at high speeds towards its target.

"Howl, Zabimaru!" Renji shouted as he whipped his zampakutou forward, stretching the blades outward.

Jade played more riffs, causing the blade to change its course, but Renji knew what his opponent was thinking. He smashed his zampakutou against the chain that held the crescent blade in place with the guitar, entangling it around the multiple blades. Then he yanked his sword back with as much force, causing Jade to lose his balance slightly.

"Give up," Renji demanded.

Jade growled.

"You know that this is only for a night," Renji continued to persuade. "Just one night, and Rukia will let you go just like that. Although, she might have to ask you guys to come with us to Hueco Mundo. Don't make this hard on her. If you've lost a loved one, you will understand."

The last sentence hit Jade hard. If there was any last trace of emotion left in him, it would be the horrible night - that horrible night in East Rukongai, District 73 when they had lost their mother.

_It was dark and there was a raging storm out tonight. Hanna Carlisle watched her two children sleep with a warm smile. She had forgotten every trouble she had ever had. After all, it was about these two and keeping them safe was her main goal._

_This moment of peace did not last too long, unfortunately, as there was a bang on the door. Hanna stood up and walked towards the door, wondering who it could be. She knew that District 73 was a terrible place, full of ruthless gangs and thieves, and that was the reason why she approached the door with caution. _

_The banging continued but more loudly than ever. Knowing that it would wake her children, she unlocked her door and opened it. Standing at her doorway were two men – each with a rough exterior and stingy glares. Hanna knew she had to be strong, especially for her children, if she wanted to protect them and what little they had._

"_Yes?" She said quietly, not taking her eyes off the men._

_Without saying a word, the men nodded towards one another and yanked the woman out of the house, throwing her towards the ground. Her screams woke her children, but they kept quiet when they saw the men as they were about to do something terrible. _

"_Yer a beauty," one of the men said with a wide, maniac smile._

"_Too bad it pisses us off," the other man added. _

_Then they brutally started to kick and punch her on the spot. Ruby and Jade crept towards the door to see the horrible commotion, keeping hidden as much as possible. Ruby started to cry as Jade clenched his fists._

_One of the men sent an extremely powerful and violent kick towards Hanna's head, and her body fell limp and lifeless on the muddy ground. Then they turned towards the house. Jade and Ruby ducked out of sight before they could be seen, trembling and wondering what could happen next. _

_The man that finished Hanna off lit a cigarette and threw the match into the house, where it caught fire on impact, and then both men fled the scene, leaving the house in flames._

It was a miracle that Jade and his sister survived that horrible incident, but the memories of their mother being beaten to death continued to linger on. Even though what his lieutenant was going through was not the same, it was still somewhat similar in a way – how her own husband was dragged away from her and there was nothing she could do.

Jade reverted his shikai back to its zampakutou state and sheathed it immediately. His hands clinched into tight fists as he spoke. "All right, I'll cooperate."

Renji sheathed his now normal zampakutou and walked over towards Jade. "Let's go then."

Jade nodded and the two flash-stepped back towards the Fifth Division Headquarters, where the younger man would join his sister in her cell for the night.

* * *

_**Next time on Inherited Nightmares...**_

_Aizen's lips curled upwards towards an insane smile as he saw Ichigo before him, held tightly by two espada. He was waiting for this moment – a moment where he could finally use the captain for his own good._

"_Welcome Kurosaki...or should I say, Kurosaki-Taichou."

* * *

_

And that's chapter 5! Rukia's cold persona has started to surface, but she's going to be colder as the story progresses further on. It might be hard to write, but I'll do my best with that, hehe.

As for the video versions, the person who is drawing Jade and Ruby is just over halfway finished. She has finished drawing all the pictures of Jade and has moved on to Ruby, so it will be a while yet before the video versions come up. Hopefully I can get started on those around the Christmas time.

In the meantime, I'm going to continue on with the story version. So keep reviewing! :D

Take care!


	6. Aizen's Devious Vendetta

Hey everyone! Well, I have returned with another chapter. I also have to warn you guys that I am going to be quite slow on updating as I have quite a busy schedule going on, but I'm going to do the best I can to bring you the best chapters. Hope you enjoy this one as you will find out more about Ruby and Jade.

I also understand that things are moving quite slowly in the story, but things will start to pick up next chapter.

Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 6: Aizen's Devious Vendetta**

As soon as Jade arrived at the Fifth Division barracks, a couple of subordinates were waiting. They grabbed him and lead him towards the holding cell where Ruby would be waiting.

Upon arriving at the cell, they pushed him violently inside and slammed the bars shut. Jade lost his balance and forwards against the hard concrete floor. "Damn..." he cussed under his breath.

Ruby stared intently at her brother who was slowly getting up. "Jade..?" She called quietly.

"Yea..?" Jade questioned, not looking at his sister.

"How long did you think we'll be here for?"

Jade shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. That cocky son of a bitch, Renji, said we would be here for a night, but personally I don't believe it."

"Do you have to be so negative...?" Silence. "You've changed, Jade...I miss the times when you would smile. I miss the old you..."

"Why did you think I changed in the first place?" Jade snapped. "Why did you think I would be here so willingly?"

Ruby knew the answer immediately. "I wish Mom hadn't died..." She tightened her fists and gritted her teeth, trying to fight back her tears. "She was everything to us...she was all we ever had. If those horrible men hadn't killed her...then maybe things would have been better?"

Jade sighed as he sat down next to his sister. "Wasn't that the reason to become shinigami in the first place? To seek some sort of justice? And, in my case, to be stronger?"

"I guess," Ruby trailed off. Silence fell between them for a moment before she spoke again. "I wish you wouldn't have been so difficult to Kurosaki-Fukutaichou." Jade scoffed at her statement. "If you would have known the horrible feelings she's going through right now. She's guilty, Jade. She thinks everything is her fault. There was nothing she could have done. Any attack would be inflicted onto Kurosaki-Taichou because he was used as some sort of shield. Isn't this the kind of justice that we are seeking? To help someone who is struggling just as much as we did?"

"It's not the same, Ruby," Jade said. "Kurosaki-Taichou wasn't killed in front of her like our mother was to us."

"Still," Ruby contradicted. "I still think we should help her. After all, she said that she would send for us when she's ready."

"Whatever, Ruby," Jade sighed as he attempted to make himself comfortable against the cold wall. "Let's at least get some sleep."

Ruby knew that was an understatement. She knew that ever since that horrible night her brother had never gotten a decent amount of sleep. He would be having the same nightmare as he always did.

Sure enough, she heard him talking in his sleep once again, mumbling the same curses he had spoken any other night.

Her eyes softened in sympathy. _Someday, _She thought to herself. _Someday, things will be all right again...especially for you, Ryuichi._ An image of him appeared in her mind – his strong, distant figure with determination in his eyes. Smiling slightly, she lay down on the cold, cement floor and her eyes drifted closed.

* * *

Elsewhere, in Las Noches, Ichigo was being dragged towards the throne room, struggling to fight off a couple of arrancar and cursing them along the way. However, the arrancar just ignored him while they continued to handle him.

Along the way, they met Yammy and Aaronierro, who were waiting for them. "You're late!" Yammy boomed as he narrowed his eyes at the arrancar.

"We apologize, Yammy-sama," one of the arrancar said, as he twisted Ichigo's arm slightly with a jerk, causing him to hiss with slight pain. "This bastard was making it hard for us."

Yammy nodded in understanding. "Then, in that case, give him to us and we'll lead him the rest of the way."

"Why don't _you_ tell Aizen to fuck himself?" Ichigo spat.

Aaronierro struck the captain across the face with the back of his hand. "Insolent wretch!" he spoke in his high voice from behind the mask. Then he changed into a gravelly low voice as he spoke again. "Know your place! You are just an insignificant prisoner. You're lucky that Aizen-sama wants you alive because if not for his orders, we would fucking kill you on the spot! After all, you're _helpless_ without your zampakutou."

The arrancar snickered and Yammy smirked widely. Ichigo growled as he struggled in Yammy's grip. "Fuck you, you freak."

That earned him a punch in the jaw. "Shut up!" Aaronierro shrieked with his high voice.

"Let's not waste anymore time," Yammy suggested. "Aizen-sama is waiting."

Aaronierro nodded as he followed his comrade towards the throne room door, waiting for another opportune time to strike Ichigo just in case he does not co-operate.

They entered the vast room, where Stark, Gin, and Szayel were waiting.

Aizen was at his usual place on his throne. His right arm, which was torn off by Ichigo in his hollow form, was replaced by a skeletonised mechanical arm that had enough strength to crush any form of matter. Szayel manufactured this arm shortly after their return from Soul Society, and as soon he fixed the mechanism to Aizen's shoulder, Aizen utilized it immediately, punching a clean hole within one of the walls of the laboratory. He was amazed by the sheer strength of the artificial arm and was so excited that he laughed maniacally, flexing the arm repeatedly.

His lips curled upwards towards an insane smile as he saw Ichigo before him, held tightly by Yammy while Aaronierro stood behind with his arms crossed over his chest. He was waiting for this moment – a moment where he could finally use the captain for his own good.

"Welcome Kurosaki...or should I say, Kurosaki-Taichou," Aizen's voice echoed throughout the throne room.

Ichigo said nothing. He gritted his teeth at his captor in front of him, remembering the terrible things that he had done to himself and his family. If he had his zampakutou at that moment, he would do whatever it would take to make the evil lord pay for his crimes.

"I see you still have a grudge against me," Aizen continued to say as he frowned. He tightened his hold on his throne's arms, causing the right arm to crack under the pressure caused by his artificial arm. "All I can say is touché, for I could never forget the humiliation you had caused me 15 years ago. This artificial arm is proof of that grudge."

"That is why you had me brought here?" Ichigo asked, disbelief lacing his voice. "All because of a stupid grudge? Get over it!"

Aizen sighed as he closed his eyes. "You're still an enemy whom I am going to target until you have been vanquished." Then he opened his eyes. "However, that is not why I had brought you here. I have come here to use you."

Ichigo raised an eyebrow. "Use me? In what way?"

"Hidden deep inside you is an extremely valuable power," Aizen explained. "This power of yours enabled you to tear off my right arm with ease and had beaten me to an inch of my life. I am, of course, talking about your hollow powers. I understand that you had beaten Ogichi before. However, you have absorbed all of his powers once he was defeated, so that you can use them at any opportune time."

"So what are you implying?"

Aizen darkened his voice slightly. "I want that power, and I will do whatever it takes to take that power from you, even if it is by force."

Ichigo scoffed at his answer. "Like hell I am going to give my hollow powers up so easily, and even if you were going to take them by force, you don't have the Hougyouku anymore." He smirked. "After all, it _was_ yours truly who destroyed it."

Aizen matched his prisoner's smirk. "That is where you're wrong."

Ichigo frowned. "What?"

Aizen motioned towards Szayel, who smirked bashfully beside him. "In case you don't know, Szayel here is a scientific genius whose smarts exceed that of even Urahara Kisuke's. With a bit of research, Szayel managed to create a duplicate of the Hougyouku."

Ichigo winced as Szayel brought out a glowing, violet orb that was identical to the Hougyouku that was created years before. He could barely find the words to say. "H-how? Wh-when...?"

Aizen's smirk grew wider. "During the 15 year period since we had last seen each other, Szayel created this as well as my mechanical arm. After all, I had mentioned to him that I had wanted to use your hollow powers for myself and he used his sheer and superior genius to create the Hougyouku. I will once again rise to the top, and as long as I have you as my weapon, _nothing_ will stop me!"

Ichigo continued to gaze in shock. "Y-you don't mean..."

"Yes," Aizen replied. "I will use the Hougyouku to turn you against your precious friends and family. However, it's not going to be easy since you had absorbed your inner hollow's powers after defeating him. So Szayel is going to run some experiments on you to strengthen your hollow powers to the point where they out-balance your shinigami powers. And there's something else."

Ichigo swallowed a large lump in his throat as he cautiously asked, "what now?"

"If I'm not mistaken, I'm sure that hollow powers are genetic; they are passed from one generation to the next."

Ichigo gasped again. He knew precisely what Aizen was saying. When Ryuichi was born, he knew that his hollow powers would be passed on to him. However, he never told his son any of this, for fear of what it would do to him. He also needed to protect him as well. He knew that he was making the same mistake as his dad, but he knew that it was for his son's own good. Ryuichi's hollow powers had never been awakened yet, but if he were captured and suffered the same fate, then things would be even worse. Ichigo realized that this was the last thing he wanted to happen, but he also knew that his son had the same fighting spirit and stubbornness as he did. So he knew that Ryuichi would stop at nothing to get his father back.

"Judging from the expression on your face," Aizen said, "you know what I am trying to say. You know that your precious son has hollow powers that had been passed on from you."

"Don't you _ever_ touch my son again!" Ichigo hissed under his breath threateningly.

"That would be easier said than done, I'm afraid," Aizen said, "for I know that your son would stop at nothing to get his father back. So therefore, I am going to let him come. After all, it would be the perfect trap for him, don't you think?"

Ichigo could not take it anymore. "YOU BASTARD! DON'T YOU FUCKING TOUCH MY SON!"

"Take him away and prepare him for experimenting," Aizen ordered.

Yammy nodded as he dragged a thrashing Ichigo out of the throne room.

"DON'T YOU EVER TOUCH MY SON, YOU FUCKING BASTARD!" Ichigo screamed again, trying so hard to fight off his handler's grip but to no avail.

"I'm afraid I can't do that," Aizen said silently as he watched his successor being taken from the throne room. "After all, you and your son have always been mine from the very beginning. There's nothing you can do about it."

He watched Szayel walk down the stairs, but the scientist turned to face his master. "Thank you for the lovely opportunity, Aizen-sama."

"Yes, after all, it was all I could do for what you had done for me."

Szayel nodded as he continued to walk down the stairs, and Aizen chuckled as he imagined how his plans would turn out.

"Soul Society is going to fall in my hands, and I _will_ be the supreme ruler of all the heavens. After all, Kurosaki has potential so terrible that once he's under my control, he would cause destruction of any dimension within seconds. I don't know about Ryuichi, but I'm sure that once his powers have been awakened, he too will be a destructive force. There is nothing anyone can do to stop me." He chuckled more darkly, tightening his right-hand grip on his throne arm so much that the stone-like material crumbled to dust.

* * *

The night spent in Ruby and Jade's holding cell was not a very comfortable one, as both siblings were very restless and could not get much sleep. However, when they heard the bars slide open, they were very much alert.

Ruby raised her head to see Hinamori standing in front of the bars with a serious expression on her face. Ruby could tell that she was troubled, as though she was remembering something. However, little did she know that her superior spent some time in a holding cell for acting out the same way as she did.

"Kurosaki-Fukutaichou requests to see you two," Hinamori said almost monotone-like.

Both Ruby and Jade stood up from their respective spots and followed their mentor out of the prison area.

On the way to Rukia's office, Ruby noticed Ryuichi walking towards the door. Summing up all her courage, she waved with a slight smile, "Good morning, Ryuichi."

"Piss off," Ryuichi snapped harshly without looking at her. He pushed the door open and walked right through.

Ruby frowned and lowered her eyes in guilt. She knew that he would be angry with her for what she and her brother had done a couple days ago, so Ryuichi's actions were not surprising, but they still broke her heart slightly. She also knew that the young man was angry at Aizen for having his father torn away from him...again, not so surprising.

They stopped in front of Rukia's office and Hinamori knocked on the door.

"Yea?" Rukia called from inside with an occupied tone in her voice.

Hinamori opened the door quietly, and Ruby and Jade slipped through. "Here are Ruby and Jade," she said from behind them.

Rukia put the paperwork she was working on aside and looked up to see the Carlisle siblings in front of her. "You two, get a chair and sit in front of me."

Ruby and Jade pulled up a chair each and sat in front of their lieutenant, noticing the cold expression within her eyes.

"Hinamori, you're dismissed," Rukia said while still glaring at the siblings.

Hinamori nodded and closed the office door.

Rukia folded her hands in front of her on the desk and pursed her lips for a moment. "You two know why I had you locked up?"

"We were fighting with released zampakutou, ma'am," Ruby replied.

"Yes," Rukia said. "I strongly advise you never to do that again under any pretence. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, ma'am," Ruby and Jade replied in unison.

Even though she was satisfied with their answer, the cold expression never faded. "The reason why I had you come here is because of a simple request. Although, it may sound simple, but it's more dangerous than simple."

Ruby and Jade continued to listen.

Rukia continued. "I want you two to accompany me, Renji, Hinamori, and Tatsuki to Hueco Mundo to get Ichigo back from the enemy's clutches."

"You're not taking Ryu-" Ruby was about to ask, but Rukia cut her off.

"He is not ready to go on a dangerous mission, even though he is going to train today to get his shikai taken care of. Renji, Hinamori, and I had discussed this. Besides, he was taken from us before and I do not want the same thing to happen again."

"But that was a long time ago," Ruby said. "Besides, he's grown up and..."

"I happen to _know_ that!" Rukia snapped, slamming her hands against the desk. "But he is not coming on this mission! He isn't ready! Enough said!"

Ruby sighed. She had definitely never seen this cold side to her lieutenant before, this overprotective side. Ichigo's capture definitely affected her a whole lot – more than it had affected anyone else.

Rukia furrowed her eyebrows. "Now then, are there any questions?" She averted her eyes towards the siblings with a glare.

"When are we leaving?" Jade asked.

"In a couple days," Rukia answered. "As you might know, Renji is training Ryuichi today and the next day. That should be plenty of time for any of us to train to prepare for the enemy. Any other questions?"

"Why us?" Ruby inquired. "We aren't seated officers and we were recruited at the same time as Ryuichi, who has been made fifth seat."

Rukia sighed. "I chose you two to come with us because of your skills. Although Ichigo and I are proud of Ryuichi and want him to try his best at what he has done, you have surpassed him and have shown me, Renji, and Hinamori what you were capable of even though both of you lost it and got in trouble in the end. In other words, we want to see how you can manage against the enemy. After all, you are here because you want to spread more justice to Soul Society; isn't that correct, Ruby?

"Yes, ma'am," Ruby replied.

"And you are here because you want to be stronger to protect your sister; is that correct, Jade?" Rukia questioned.

"Yes, ma'am," Jade grunted softly.

"Then this will be a test of your abilities," Rukia continued. "Is there any more questions?"

Ruby and Jade looked at each other for a moment before turning back to their superior. "No, ma'am," they said in unison.

"Then you are free to go," Rukia said. "Train hard because we are leaving first thing in a couple days. You're dismissed."

Without another word, Ruby and Jade got up from their chairs and left the office, understanding every word that their lieutenant had told them. This was going to be the greatest test of their lives, and when the time comes for them to leave, they will be ready to take it on.

* * *

_**Next time on Inherited Nightmares...**_

_Renji sighed as Ryuichi hit the ground. "You're not concentrating, Ryuichi," he said with disappointment. "You need to have thorough concentration when you converse with your zampakutou's spirit."_

_Ryuichi gritted his teeth as he stood up from the ground. "You think I don't _know_ that? I'm trying as fucking hard as I can, but you keep coming at me!"_

"_Exactly," Renji agreed. "What if a hollow or any other kind of enemy comes when you are trying to talk to your zampakutou's spirit? They won't wait for you." He got into a fighting stance. "Now let's go again."

* * *

_

The past couple of chapters haven't had Ryuichi in them very much, so next chapter will make up for that as it will be the one in which Ryuichi finds out the name of his zampakutou! :D I am definitely looking forward to writing it, and I'm pretty sure you guys are looking forward to it as well.

In the meantime, however, let me know what you thought of this chapter!

Take care!


	7. Karyuu

Well, since this is that chapter, the moment has finally arrived! You will see a certain goal that Ryuichi has been trying to accomplish. I had been planning this chapter for quite some time, and you will see that it will be quite worth the wait.

Even though this is a very important chapter, there won't be a lot of action unfortunately. However, that will start next chapter.

In the meantime, though, enjoy this one :D

* * *

**Chapter 7: Karyuu**

There was a lot on Ryuichi's mind while he walked towards the Third Division Barracks.

The main thing was the fact that his own father was captured by the enemy. He had never gotten enough sleep the night before because he spent the night tossing and turning, having nightmares about possible instances of his father's capture. He knew it was not his mother's fault. There was nothing she could do; however, if he were in her position, he would do whatever it took to get his father back. The only thing he must do is train hard to be strong enough to protect his family.

Another thought was Ruby – the way she called after him just before he left. He was not certain of her true intentions or, if possible, any change in her personality. Ever since she and her brother beat him to almost an inch of his life that day, his grudge would increase every time he saw them. He could almost hear Ruby taunt him every time he saw her, and it would just drive him away. If he had no honour, he would kill her in the worst possible way, but that was not the case. His parents taught him better than that. The best he could do was to just avoid her, no matter what her intention may be.

The third and final thought on his mind was achieving his zampakutou's shikai. No matter how hard he trained, he could not learn the name of his zampakutou. There were times when he just wanted to give up hope, but he knew he could not give up. There had to be some kind of way – some trick to it. He must figure out this trick and learn his zampakutou's name soon. After all, there was nothing more he wanted than to make his father proud of him, even if he had to run off to Hueco Mundo and get him back.

He arrived at the gate of the Third Division Barracks and pushed through the heavy door, taking in the scenery of the vast building and its training ground. Lanterns hung on every corner of the pagoda-style roofs while the streaming ribbons underneath them flowed slightly in the breeze.

Ryuichi took a deep breath and walked towards the building, eyes full of confidence and determination.

As soon as he stepped through the doorway, he was tackled by Yachiru. Hanatarou, who happened to be visiting at that time, laughed from behind.

"Ryu!" Yachiru squealed from on top of Ryuichi's chest.

"Hey Yachiru," he said while faking a smile.

"You here to see Ren-Ren?" Yachiru questioned.

Ryuichi chuckled at the nickname. "Yeah, where is he?"

Before the small lieutenant could answer, a voice answered for her. "Right here. Get off him, Yachiru."

"Okie dokie," Yachiru chirped as she allowed Ryuichi to stand.

"Hope she wasn't too much trouble," Renji said with a smirk.

"Oh no, not at all," Ryuichi replied – once more with a fake smile.

It had been really hard to smile lately and Renji understood why. But he knew that the boy was tough and was more than eager to let out as much aggression as he could in this training session.

Renji lifted a hand as a beckoning gesture. "Come with me."

Ryuichi nodded as he followed the captain out into the training grounds. Hanatarou and Yachiru tagged along to serve as spectators.

Ryuichi and Renji faced each other. "Are you ready?" The captain asked, hand on the hilt of his zampakutou. "Draw your sword if you are."

Ryuichi nodded and did as he was told.

Renji drew his and ran his hand lightly along the blade, changing it to its shikai state. Ryuichi swallowed nervously, but relaxed to show his godfather his confidence.

"You know the drill," Renji said, going into a fighting stance. "You must give me everything you've got. Understood?"

Ryuichi went into a fighting stance as well. If he wanted to get his father back and make him proud, he had to achieve his goal – he _had_ to achieve shikai once and for all. "I do," he replied with determination.

"One more thing before we begin," Renji added, "Push all nerves and weaknesses aside. Never let the enemy know you're nervous or scared because they'll use that to their advantage. It's not easy but it's crucial to any fight."

Ryuichi took a deep breath and tightened his hold on the hilt of his katana in impatience. "Yes."

Renji smirked. He could feel his friend's son's eagerness to begin his training session. "Let's go."

Immediately, they lunged at each other – dust flew outwards as they pushed off the ground. As soon as they collided in the centre, Renji attacked with a downward strike, which Ryuichi blocked immediately. He managed to hold the powerful sword at bay, gritting his teeth. Both swords creaked as metal pushed against metal.

"That's good! Keep your eye on your opponent." Renji instructed. He swept his zampakutou in a swift circle, catching the opposing katana within its prongs.

Ryuichi struggled to hold onto his sword, but when Renji flipped his zampakutou over, he – Ryuichi – immediately got disarmed. Renji sent a piercing side kick against his student's abdomen, knocking him to the ground with a grunt.

Renji sighed. "You're not concentrating, Ryuichi," he said with disappointment. "You need to have thorough concentration when you converse with your zampakutou's spirit."

Ryuichi gritted his teeth as he stood up from the ground. "You think I don't know that? I'm trying as fucking hard as I can, but you keep coming at me!"

"Exactly," Renji agreed. "What if a hollow or any other kind of enemy comes when you are trying to talk to your zampakutou's spirit? They won't wait for you." He got into a fighting stance. "Now let's go again."

Before Ryuichi could do anything, however, Renji extended his sword towards him, catching him off guard. Ryuichi barely dodged the technique, cursing under his breath. Within seconds, Renji whipped his zampakutou forward once more. Ryuichi dodged the attack once again and jumped back, trying to avoid every blow.

After Renji retracted the multiple blades, he extended his zampakutou once more, causing the younger man to jump back. Another extension sped towards its target, and Ryuichi blocked the attack immediately, sliding along the ground and gritting his teeth as he struggled against the attack.

He tried to calm his mind. _Come on! _He shut his eyes and tightened the hilt of his katana. Please _tell me your name! Tell me before something happens here. Come on!_

However, no voice came to his subconscious. What made matters worse was that Ryuichi could not defend himself anymore against Zabimaru's vicious attack. It slipped past the steel blade and tore through Ryuichi's shoulder, causing him to hiss in pain as he fell on his back.

Renji sighed as he retracted his blade once more and ran towards his fallen student.

He held out his hand to help the boy up. "Let's take a break. There's something I must tell you anyway."

Ryuichi looked at him with a puzzled expression and took his hand.

Renji pulled him up onto his feet and the two walked towards the headquarters.

As soon as they sat on the steps, Yachiru and Hanatarou joined them.

"Guys, can you give Ryuichi and me a moment?" Renji asked as calmly as he could.

Yachiru and Hanatarou both nodded in unison and left the two in peace.

Renji turned his head towards Ryuichi, who was staring frustratingly at his sword. "Ryuichi."

Said boy looked up at his mentor. "Yea?"

Renji sighed. How was he going to say this? "You know your mother, Hinamori, Tatsuki, and I are going to Hueco Mundo tomorrow to get your dad back."

"Really?" Ryuichi gave his godfather a hopeful look.

Renji sighed again. "Unfortunately, you're not coming with us."

Ryuichi furrowed his eyebrows in a tight scowl. "What...?"

"Your mother thinks that you won't be ready in time," Renji explained, trying to find the right words to say so that he will alarm the boy in any way. "You haven't learned shikai yet and..."

"I'm trying my fucking hardest!" Ryuichi snapped, cutting off his mentor. "What the fuck am I supposed to do? Slit my fucking throat?"

Renji was taken aback by these words. "It's not easy..."

Ryuichi cut him off once again. "I _know_ it's not fucking easy! But he's still my dad and I must make him proud no matter what!"

Renji sighed once again. If the saying, "there's a time and place for everything", was true, it would be the perfect opportunity to say what he needed to say. "Don't say that, Ryuichi. You know your dad is proud of you, no matter what you do."

"How can you be so sure? I haven't even achieved shikai yet! I supposed to be, as they say, gifted! Yet, that bitch Ruby and her asshole brother Jade surpassed me! What do you have to say to that?"

Renji tried to be calming and re-assuring. "Listen to me. There's a hidden meaning behind your mother's words, and if your dad were here, he would also agree."

Ryuichi stopped ranting and raised an eyebrow. "What the fucking hell are you trying to say?"

"When your dad told you stories of his adventures, he left out a very important one -something that happened to you when you were a baby."

It took a while for Ryuichi to find his words. "What? What are you talking about?"

Renji sighed. "When you were 3 months old, you were carried off to Hueco Mundo by a former ally on Aizen's orders. You might have remembered how your father used to be friends with a girl named Orihime Inoue, right?"

Ryuichi nodded without saying a word.

Renji continued his explanation. "You were taken from your parents while they were away one afternoon. When they returned and found you missing, they were both so heartbroken that they had to do everything in their power to get you back, fighting their battles and receiving the help they could get from Urahara-san and other allies. The challenges they faced...the hardships they endured...you could say that Aizen had made sure that they wouldn't get you back so easily."

"W-why...me?" Ryuichi stammered, tightening onto his katana's hilt at full strength.

"In the previous war, your father proved to be victorious. So Aizen wanted revenge. He had to find a way to lure your father to Las Noches, his palace in Hueco Mundo, so that he could finish him off once and for all. So he used you as bait. In fact, he nearly had his revenge...if it weren't for your father's," Renji paused for a moment. He had made a promise to Ichigo that he would not tell Ryuichi about his hollow powers. He continued after a second of silence, "strong-willed spirit that kept him alive."

"Dad nearly...died?" Ryuichi asked. He could not believe that his own father would go to such heights to sacrifice himself for his son.

Renji nodded. "It wasn't just Ichigo. Your mother was also nearly slain by Aizen's hand as a way to lure your father, who was protecting you at that moment, to his throne room. As soon as your father sensed the sudden decrease in your mother's reiatsu, he immediately rushed towards the throne room where he was stabbed right through the chest."

Ryuichi gritted his teeth. He tried so hard to fathom such events, but why was it so hard to believe? And why was it so hard to believe that his parents could have survived such horrible attacks? It was too incredible to believe.

"H-how was I brought back?" He inquired hoarsely – his voice barely audible.

It took a while for Renji to think about what to say. "You weren't the only one who was brought to Hueco Mundo against your will, but your aunt Yuzu as well. In fact, Aizen brought her under hypnosis, an ability which I'm sure Ichigo had told you about already, and had used her as part of his plan. In fact, she was the one whom Ichigo was standing up to the moment when Aizen stabbed your mother. She used any means necessary to stop your father from removing you from your room, even if it meant poisoning him through unnatural means –"

"Stop," Ryuichi snapped abruptly.

Renji looked at him inquisitively.

"Are you telling me that Aunt Yuzu was part of all of this as well?" Ryuichi questioned.

"Yes," Renji replied. "I know this is pretty hard to believe."

"You're damn right, it is!" Ryuichi shouted, glaring at his mentor with tightened fists and clenched teeth. "Why haven't I been told about all of this?"

Renji sighed. "Look, the day you were taken from your crib that time, that was the worst day of your parents' lives. They put everything on the line just to protect you and bring you and Yuzu back safely. Sure enough, they did and Unohana-Taichou had to erase your aunt's memories of Aizen to rid her of the pain she had caused herself. It was really tough on all members of your family. It's hard to believe, but trust me."

"What's the point in telling me all of this?" Ryuichi growled, continuing to glare at his mentor.

"They want to protect you," Renji explained. "That time when you were taken from them, it hurt them to no end."

"Look," Ryuichi said, "That was 15 years ago. I don't need protection right now."

"I understand that, but that is beside the point. Your parents don't want anything to happen to you. You're just not ready. I'm sorry, Ryuichi."

Ryuichi sighed. He wanted so much to make his father proud of him, but he did not care about how he seemed to be protected at any turn. However, he felt the same way about his little sister, so he seemed to understand his parents' reasoning to some extent. He was still not happy about the fact that he could not partake in this mission, but that did not stop him from achieving shikai.

Determination took over as he locked eyes with his mentor. "Let's continue."

Renji nodded and smirked. "Good idea."

* * *

Rukia sighed as she doodled at her desk. All of the paperwork for that day had been completed, so she could finally have a break to think and be alone for a while.

However, everything about the office reminded her of her husband. After all, he was the captain of their division. But all this reminders broke her heart completely. What made matters worse was the six-foot zampakutou leaning against the wall in front of her, wrapped in its trademark linen – Zangetsu.

Ever since that horrible night, she could not sleep for nightmares had her tossing and turning in tears. Everyone had told her it was not her fault and there was nothing she could have done, but that could not shake the guilt that overtook her every step of the way.

"I'm so sorry, Ichigo," she whispered softly to no one in particular, tears streaming down her face. "I'm so sorry."

A soft knock on the door brought her back to reality. She vigorously rubbed the tears off her face and called, "C-come in!" She silently cursed herself at the show of weakness.

"Kurosaki-fukutaichou," Hinamori said as she opened the door. "Don't be afraid to hide your emotions. I know what you're doing, and it's all right."

Rukia sighed and pursed her lips. "Whatever. What is it that you want, Hinamori?"

Hinamori smiled and whispered to someone around the corner. Then she turned back to Rukia. "Someone would like to see you. I think she wants to cheer you up."

On cue, Aiko trotted inside, holding a stuffed bunny. When she saw her mother, she ran towards her. "Mommy!"

Rukia got up from her desk and wrapped her arms around the little girl. "Aiko baby!"

"I figured that she would want to see you and cheer you up, since you seemed sad the past couple of days."

Since Rukia did not want the news to reach her daughter's ears for obvious reasons, she had to tell her that Ichigo was off on a vacation and will be back soon. Aiko had wondered why her father did not say good bye to her, but her mother assured her that he was in a hurry and wanted her to pass along the message. This settled the little girl's mind to a certain extent.

"I know mommy misses daddy," Aiko said, "So Chappy and I should cheer her up."

Rukia smiled sadly at her daughter.

"I should leave you two alone for a bit," Hinamori said. "Take care, Rukia."

Rukia nodded and went back to hugging her daughter. "Thank you, baby."

"Mommy?" Aiko asked.

"Mhm?"

"Please be happy. Daddy will be back soon like you said and we can be happy again, like the bunnies I drew earlier. You remember the bunnies, mommy?"

Rukia thought back to the adorable picture her daughter drew at her aunt's house several days ago. "Yes I do, honey."

"And the bunnies were happy, right?" Aiko asked.

"Yes they were, baby," Rukia replied, smiling at the memory. "I'll try to be happy for you, honey, and your daddy will be home soon as I had promised."

Aiko wrapped her arms around her mother's neck and her mother tightened her embrace.

As they shared this moment together, every negative feeling that Rukia had welled up inside seemed to fade away – even if it was just for a moment. _Ichigo _will_ be home soon, and I am going to do whatever it takes to make sure of that._ She thought about Ryuichi – how he was struggling to achieve shikai – and continued her thoughts. _I'm sorry, Ryuichi, but this is the best I can do for you. I do _not_ want to lose you like I had almost done when you were a baby.

* * *

_

Ryuichi stood in the middle of the training field, mind calm and focused. He tried as hard as he could to hear his zampakutou's spirit's voice, but to no avail.

Suddenly, Zabimaru's extended blades flew at him. Sensing the surprise attack, Ryuichi opened his eyes and held his katana up to block it, getting pushed back from the powerful force. _Damn it!_

Renji whipped his zampakutou forward once again. This time, Ryuichi dodged it and again he dodged the third attack. Around that moment, he thought he heard a faint voice calling his name, but it was too mute to be clear.

Renji flash-stepped towards his student, unleashing his shikai's attack once more. Ryuichi blocked the attack and parried it away, but when the second attack came, he tried to block it once again. However, he was knocked on his back by the violent force.

Renji retracted his blades and shook his head. "I think we're done for today."

Ryuichi got up and cursed under his breath. "Just tell me the trick or something!" He shouted, frustrated at his failure.

Renji shrugged. "It depends on the person. Some people get it just by sparring with others; some people get it from straight meditation. Apparently, sparring doesn't work with you. So you need to meditate. You'll get it eventually."

"Can we do this one more time?" Ryuichi asked.

Renji shook his head. "As much as I would like to, I can't. I've got paperwork to do," he rolled his eyes when he mentioned the activity, "Take a break for now, Ryuichi, and do whatever you can to learn the name of your zampakutou."

He turned his back to walk towards the headquarters and Ryuichi stared after him. He swore he heard someone call his name earlier, but why was the voice too quiet? He shook his head. _Probably my sub-conscious playing tricks on me or something._

He sheathed his katana and head towards the gate that would lead him out of the Third Division grounds.

"Thanks for coming, Ryu!" Yachiru called from several feet away. She was cuddling with Hanatarou, who had his arms around her.

"Yep, see you around, Yachiru! You too, Hanatarou!" Ryuichi waved as he stepped through the gate and turned in the direction of his home.

He did not walk very far when he saw Ruby in front of him. Furrowing his eyebrows, he averted his eyes from her as he continued to walk past.

"Ryuichi, wait!" She called, but Ryuichi did not hear her. She ran up towards him. "Ryuichi, I need to talk to you!"

"Go away, Ruby," Ryuichi snapped, annoyed by her presence. "I'm not in the mood to deal with your bullshit."

"Just listen to me!" Ruby shouted, trying to be persistent. "I'm really sorry for what Jade and I put you through and..."

"FUCK OFF!" Ryuichi bellowed, fists and teeth clenched.

Ruby became silent. She watched as Ryuichi turned and walk away, unable to move or say anything else.

* * *

Later on that night, Ryuichi was on his way towards his room when he heard sobbing coming from his parents' room. He quietly leaned forward slightly to listen, heart breaking from the depressing sound.

He did not know what to do. He knew his mother did not want anyone to see her like this, but at the same time he could not leave her alone.

His determination rose immediately. As soon as he would figure out his zampakutou's name, he will do whatever he can to get his father back. Even though it would break his mother's heart even more, he could not bear to listen to her crying like this.

After all, he had his father's blood. He knew that Ichigo had never listened to a thing Rukia had told him in the past, and he had acted out of his own judgement. Ryuichi was the same.

Who knows what could happen to his mother, Hinamori, Renji, and Tatsuki in Hueco Mundo? After all, he still had strong feelings for Hinamori, and he would do anything to make sure she was safe. If he wanted to protect his family, this had to be the only way.

Ryuichi softened his eyes. "I'm sorry, Mom," he muttered, and he continued his retreat to his room where another restless night would await him.

* * *

"_Ryuichi...Ryuichi!"_

_Ryuichi looked around. He was enshrouded by darkness, and a certain voice was calling his name._

"_Ryuichi! Ryuichi!"_

_Ryuichi looked around, trying to see through the darkness. Maybe calling would do the trick? "Who are you?"_

_However, the voice did not answer him. _

"_Hello?" He started to run in a direction he had no idea where to. "Hello?"_

"_Ryuichi!"_

_The voice was more audible now. Ryuichi kept on running. The closer he got, the more clear the voice was._

"_Ryuichi..."_

_It was very familiar – pained even, as though its owner had just been tortured a great extent. He could start hearing laboured breathing, as though someone was panicking._

"_Hang on! I'm on my way!" Ryuichi shouted into the darkness, hoping the person would hear him._

"_No, Ryuichi," the voice replied. "Don't come any closer! Ahhh!"_

_Ryuichi continued to run. A figure came into view before his eyes – a figure with orange hair and a white haori. A red chain strung around the haori, but there was no zampakutou anywhere near the figure. It was Ichigo._

"_D-dad! Hang on!" _

"_Ryuichi, no!" Ichigo shrieked in between breathing. He was keeled over and trembling, as though he were fighting something inside. His eyes were shut tight and he had his hands on his head, grabbing tightly onto his hair. Blood ran down his arms and chin and his shinigami robes underneath were tattered. Dark bruises showed on almost every surface of skin that was exposed._

"_Dad!" Ryuichi shouted. He tried to get closer, but no matter what, he always kept the same distance._

_Another figure joined them – a tall, dark shadow with robes that flowed behind him. Ryuichi tried to grab onto his zampakutou but realized it was not there. The shadow stepped in front of Ichigo, drawing his sword as he stepped toward the boy._

_Ryuichi swallowed as he froze on the spot. The reiatsu this shadow was emitting was immense, and he found it quite hard to breathe. He could not recognize this ominous figure, who was inching closer to him and chuckling darkly._

_A scream echoed behind the figure, and Ryuichi wanted to help his father. But this shadow was making everything difficult, and with no zampakutou or weapon to fight with, he knew he was done for. He shut his eyes tightly, trying to tell himself that it was just a dream – a nightmare – that nothing will happen to him._

_He felt the figure's presence right in front of him, no more than a foot away. He opened his eyes to find the shadow's blade raised above his head. "Good bye," the figure chuckled as he brought down his blade in one downward motion._

"NOOOOOOOOOO!" Ryuichi screamed as he awoke from his bed, sweat dripping from every pore of his shaking body. His chest heaved as he breathed heavily, and he tried so hard to block out the horrifying nightmare.

It took him a moment to calm down his nerves. Over and over he reflected on the horrible dream that he had just had. It seemed strange to him, for he did not understand what his father was fighting against. Could it be some kind of evil spirit? And that figure that tried to kill him – could that be Aizen?

Either way, Ryuichi knew that he did not want to go back to sleep. He looked over towards his katana and narrowed his eyes. Instead of sleeping, he will go for a walk somewhere and meditate, where he will try to figure out his zampakutou's name.

Quietly, he stood up from the futon, put on his shinigami robes, sheathed his katana, and slipped out of his room, trying not to waken his mother or sister.

It took him a while to tiptoe through the dark house, but he found the front door eventually and slipped through, closing it silently behind him.

Immediately, he turned on his heel and walked swiftly towards a random direction – towards the Soukyouku Hill.

He did not know why, but that was always the best place to think in his opinion, probably due to the high cliff area that formed the edge of the former execution site. This would be the perfect place to meditate and try to figure out his zampakutou's name – assuming he would figure it out by the time dawn arrived.

As he walked towards his destination, his thoughts wandered back to the terrible dream that he just had. He could not get over the fact that his father was keeled over, holding his head in a torturous way as though he were fighting something. What could he be fighting against? What other secrets could be hidden from him? Could a portion of whatever eerie power his father was fighting against be passed on to him? Ryuichi had no clue what was going on.

He finally arrived at Soukyouku hill and looked around. As soon as he found the edge of the cliff, he thought back to the dream that he had of Hinamori – how they had almost kissed on that very spot. He shook his head vigorously, trying to tell himself that it was not going to happen and he should not be distracted by irrelevant details.

He walked towards the cliff edge, drew his katana, and sat cross-legged on the grass, placing the sword across his legs. Then he calmed his mind, closing his eyes in concentration. _Please tell me your name. This is an urgent emergency. Please..._

At that moment, he felt a tug as he was thrown into some kind of dimension. It happened too fast for him to understand what was going on, and he felt dizzy from the result.

Everything calmed within seconds and Ryuichi opened his eyes.

He found himself in a strange place. It was very hot with smoke rising from every portion of the ground. Lava flowed through all directions, reminding Ryuichi of a volcanic area. There weren't many trees in this place, and those few that stood on the basalt ground were barren and charred.

Ryuichi looked around, hoping to find some kind of life and wondering why he could be in such a place.

That was when the ground shook, and Ryuichi tried to contain his balance. The temperature rose as a burning sensation blasted his face. Ryuichi shielded his face for a moment and then lowered his arms, only to gaze in shock at a colossal entity glaring before him.

It was a dragon – a huge, fiery dragon with enormous wings that stretched for miles on each side. Its crimson eyes stared at the young man that was awed and overcome by this strange sight.

"_Ryuichi..._" It spoke in a voice that echoed throughout this strange place. "_Why have you not heard me?"_

All what Ryuichi could do was stare in disbelief, but he finally found his voice when he spoke. "What?"

"_I had been calling your name, but you hadn't heard me._"

Ryuichi furrowed his eyebrows. "I didn't hear you. You spoke too quietly for me to hear you."

"_That was because you weren't concentrating hard enough._"

"Okay, okay," Ryuichi looked up at the beast. For some reason, the scorching fumes did not bother him anymore. "Are you my zampakutou's spirit?"

"_I am, for my name is Karyuu. However, I will only be wielded if you are willing to fight with everything you have, if you have the will to do whatever it takes to protect those you love._"

Ryuichi thought of his family and Hinamori. This was what he had been striving to accomplish. "I do."

The dragon nodded slowly. "_So you are ready to wield me, Ryuichi?_"

"Yes, just lend me your power. My dad is..."

"_I know. Your father is in grave danger, but you must understand that going to him will put you in the same danger as him._"

Ryuichi remembered what Renji had told him. "I am willing to do anything it takes to get him back."

The dragon nodded once again. "_Very well. With your spirit, you are definitely deemed worthy to wield me. Good luck._"

The same tug that brought him to this place happened once again – this time to take him out and back to the Soukyouku Hill.

Ryuichi opened his eyes and looked down at his sword. It was the same as before. He scowled and he examined the katana for any differences. _Is this some kind of trick?_

That same voice echoed in his conscience. This time he could clearly hear it. "_You have not released me yet. Say the incantation, 'Rise above the smoking crater' and then my name._"

Ryuichi nodded. The instruction made enough sense. He stood and held the katana tightly as he exclaimed, "Rise above the smoking crater...Karyuu!"

The katana caught on fire, catching the young shinigami by surprise. However, the flames did not hurt. They continued to glow brightly, engulfing the blade and changing its shape. A beam of light looped towards Ryuichi's other hand and a flaming scythe formed, turning the beam of light into a glowing chain.

Ryuichi looked at the actual sword. Instead of the traditional single blade that every katana had used, there were two blades and the design of the blades caught the young man's interest. The blade had a gold sheen and curved edges stuck out of the blade as though they resembled flames.

Ryuichi stared at his weapon with awe and amazement. He threw the scythe with all of his strength and was amazed when the chain stretched with the scythe's distance. Then the scythe boomeranged back towards its wielder's hand.

Ryuichi turned towards the post where the Soukyouku's cross, the beam in which prisoners were bound to, had once stood. He raised the main part of his weapon and slashed at the post, easily cutting through it like a hot knife through butter. A triumphant smile widened on his face as he reverted his zampakutou back to normal and sheathed the katana.

Now he was ready to embark on a perilous journey to retrieve his father.

* * *

_**Next time on Inherited Nightmares...**_

_Rukia softened her eyes when she turned to face her daughter. "Look after her, Nii-Sama."_

_Byakuya nodded as he adjusted Aiko against his chest. "Don't worry about her, Rukia. She will be kept safe at the manor. I will make sure of that." _

_Rikichi, his lieutenant, beamed at Renji. "Good luck, Renji! You're the best ever!"_

_Renji smirked. "That's Abarai-Taichou to you."

* * *

_

Well, I knew this chapter would be long as it's quite an important one. Next chapter, the mission in Hueco Mundo begins!

The dream that happened earlier in the chapter is also a foreshadowing which will take place in a couple chapters. You will have to find out what will happen then (although you may already know but I never said when it would happen hehe). This is a scene that I have been planning for quite a while.

As for the video versions, the artist who is drawing Ruby and Jade is busy with university so it will take some time before she is done. I am going to ask my friend about more details later on.

With all that said, please review and tell me what you think!

Take care!


	8. Return to Hueco Mundo

**Chapter 8: Return to Hueco Mundo**

Once he had left the Soukyouku area, Ryuichi headed straight towards the Senkeimon where he saw the same two guards from earlier.

Since the Senkeimon only led to the World of the Living, he felt that it would be best to go there first and then to the Urahara Shop, now under the management of Urahara's assistant, Tessai. Ryuichi knew Tessai was skilled in kidou and opening portals, so he figured that the older man would be a great help in allowing him to enter Hueco Mundo.

When he approached the guards, they noticed him right away. "Ryuichi-san," one of them said in slightly startled greeting. "You out for a walk?"

Ryuichi knew exactly what he was going to say. "Actually, I was wondering if you could open the gate to the World of the Living?"

The second guard inquired, "Do you have permission?"

Ryuichi furrowed his eyebrows slightly. Sometimes the rules and regulations of the Soul Society were a bother, especially tonight. "I don't have permission. I just need to see my aunts."

"Then we can't allow you to enter the gate. I'm sorry," The first guard said.

"You always allow my parents to come through," Ryuichi argued, slightly frustrated.

The second guard countered, "Yes because of their rank. We can't allow you to come through. Sorry."

Ryuichi tightened his hands into fists and gritted his teeth. How is he supposed to enter?

"And, one other thing, if you're actually planning on going to the World of the Living to find a way to get into Hueco Mundo, then that's also a no as well," The first guard added.

Ryuichi cursed under his breath – so much for the plan. These guys were impossible to pass through. What was he supposed to do now?

That was until a voice intervened. "Actually, I gave him permission."

All three heads turned to face Urahara Kisuke, who had also happened to be going out for a walk that night.

"U-Urahara-san!" Ryuichi stammered in surprise.

Urahara approached the group closer. "I gave him permission as some kind of a reconnaissance mission to go into Hueco Mundo. After all, the kid does have the same determination as his father. Set the gate to Hueco Mundo and open it."

The second guard was shocked. "Urahara-Taichou! You expecting us to –"

"Just open it," Urahara interrupted.

Ryuichi looked at him inquisitively. Urahara noticed the puzzled expression on the younger man's face. "Not too long after the first war with Aizen, Mayuri-san had installed technology into the Senkeimon that would enable us access to Hueco Mundo. Of course, he had learned such technology when he was there, and he knew it would be utilized sometime in the near future."

Ryuichi knew that the explanation made sense. However, his questions weren't finished just yet. "Why are you letting me go?"

Urahara smiled. "You have great determination. In fact, your father had come here before to save Orihime years ago, even though it was a reckless act. Your mother is going to kill me for this." He chuckled as he scratched his head, but then he started to become serious. "But I am letting you go to test your determination. There are many challenges that you would face, and I think it would be a good idea to test your newly released zampakutou."

Ryuichi's eyes widened with a snap. "You...you..."

Before he could answer, Urahara chuckled once again. "I saw you attempt to release it, and I must admit that I'm quite impressed."

Ryuichi nodded in understanding.

"Now then, go. Go and bring us Kurosaki-san back."

Ryuichi nodded again, but this time in determination. "Thank you, Urahara-san."

Urahara grinned. "No problem, Kurosaki-kun. It's what I do after all. Now good luck!"

Ryuichi nodded once again as he ran through the gates that were reluctantly opened by the guards, headed towards the deserted planes of Hueco Mundo.

* * *

Rukia sighed as she walked towards her son's room. Today would be the day that she, Renji, Tatsuki, Ruby, Jade, and Hinamori would go to Hueco Mundo to rescue her husband. She felt slightly guilty for deciding to leave her son behind but she knew it was for the best.

"Ryuichi, honey, I'm leaving now," Rukia called from outside her son's door, unbeknownst that he was not there. "I just want to say I'm sorry but there will be times in which you will partake in missions with your father. Please forgive me..."

She did not hear any response from her son's room – maybe he was asleep? "Ryuichi?" She called again.

Thinking that her son could be asleep, she pulled open his door and screamed when she found the empty bed. "Ryuichi?" She panicked as she ran towards his bed. "Ryuichi?" She pulled back the covers in desperation and sure enough, he wasn't there. "RYUICHI!"

She ran out of his room. "RYUICHI! WHERE ARE YOU?"

Tears threatened to spill from her eyes. Where could her son be? Sure he could not have gone...to Hueco Mundo? Rukia widened her eyes at the thought. He is going to be in so much trouble!

Hinamori rushed inside the house. "Kurosaki-fukutaichou! I heard screaming inside the house. What's wrong?"

But Rukia could not answer. She was hyperventilating as she tried to fight off her tears.

Hinamori placed her hands on her superior's shoulders. "Kurosaki-fukutaichou, what happened?"

"Ryu...Ryuichi is gone!" Rukia cried as she tried to get a hold of herself. "He's not in his room. He better not have gone to Hueco Mundo...oh my god!"

"Mommy, where is Onii-chan?"

Rukia and Hinamori turned towards Aiko who was standing in the hallway. She was still in her pyjamas and holding her bunny, Chappy, to her chest. A pleading, puzzled look was on her face.

Rukia hid her face from her daughter to not show the distress she was going through.

"Mommy?" Aiko cocked her head to the side. "What's wrong?"

Rukia tried to crack a smile. "It's okay, honey. Your brother is..." She stopped for a while to try to gather her thoughts. What was she going to say? Then a thought suddenly hit her, "out for a while. Hinamori and I are going to look for him."

"And bring Daddy home?" Aiko questioned once more.

Rukia froze. She had mentioned that there was a bit of minor trouble where Ichigo was and because of that, she, Hinamori, Renji, and Tatsuki were setting out to bring him home. "Yes, that too."

"Where am I going to stay?" Aiko inquired.

"Your uncle Byakuya's," Rukia replied, her voice cracking as more tears threatened to surface.

Hinamori had noticed that Rukia was being unsuccessful in trying to hide her distressed face and so she had to do something to try to help. "Kurosaki-Fukutaichou..."

"Rukia," Rukia corrected bluntly. "We're not in the office, so don't call me that when I'm at home."

"Sorry," Hinamori said, "Rukia-san, I can help get Aiko-chan prepared. You go get a glass of water and calm down."

Rukia did not say anything for she kept staring into space, hands balled into fists. "Just go."

Hinamori nodded as she led Aiko towards her room. Aiko turned towards her mother with as much concern as any little girl would have, wondering why her mother would be like this.

Rukia got up from her spot on the couch and walked over to the sink. She got a glass from the nearby cupboard and turned on the tap, letting cold water pour into the glass. When the glass was full, she turned off the tap and sighed as she held the glass to her lips, taking a long drink as she stared into space.

_Ryuichi is in big trouble, _she thought to himself. _How could he be so reckless? I know his heart was set on getting his father back and all, but...I can't believe he would do this! _She remembered how Ichigo was the same thing when he was his son's age and sighed once again. _Ichigo was the same thing. He _never_ listened to what I had to say, no matter what the circumstance was. Damn it all!_

After finishing her glass, she put it in the sink and washed her face, letting the cool water splash across her face in a refreshing manner. It calmed her down slightly.

Once she turned off the tap, Hinamori was standing in the hallway holding Aiko's hand. Aiko's other hand was still clutching her bunny and she was dressed in a pink bunny top and deep blue jeans.

Hinamori smiled at her superior and friend. "Read to go, Rukia-san?"

"Almost," Rukia said. "Let me put on my lieutenant badge and sheath and we'll go."

Hinamori smiled as she let her superior get ready.

* * *

Meanwhile, Jade and Ruby were making their preparations as well. They went about their preparations in silence due to the severity of the mission at hand, and they both knew that speaking to each other would make them lose their focus.

However, Ruby's mind was full of thoughts – thoughts about the mission as well as thoughts about Ryuichi and how he treated her the day before. She knew that he was mad at her for what she and her brother had done, and it was understandable that she would be blown off like that. However, she wanted to do anything in her power to make up for what she had done. He may or may not forgive her after this, but she will see how things will go once everything has finished, assuming they make it out alive. Ruby had a strong feeling that they would, regardless of the casualties coming their way.

She turned to Jade who was waiting in the doorway for her with his casual, nonchalant stare. Is power all he is concerned about? She knew that he hadn't cared for anyone but himself every since that horrible night – well maybe sometimes her but mostly for himself. _I'll never understand him, _she thought to herself as she shook her head. Then she walked over to her brother and together they silently left their house towards the Senkaimon, where they knew the others would be waiting.

* * *

It did not take Rukia long to get ready and, picking up Aiko, she and Hinamori left their house and started their silent walk towards the Senkaimon.

Half of the way there, they met up with Renji and Tatsuki. Renji's arms were around Tatsuki's waist as they waiting for their comrades to arrive.

"How are you feeling, Rukia?" Renji asked out of concern.

Trying not to show her true feelings to her daughter, Rukia replied coolly, "Ryuichi snuck out of the house last night..."

Tatsuki gasped and Renji furrowed his eyebrows.

"I specifically told that idiot that he wasn't coming with us," Renji growled.

"Onii-chan is not an idiot!" Aiko exclaimed with a glare and Renji sighed. Sometimes he has to watch what he says around Aiko.

"I can understand his feelings though," Tatsuki said. "I mean, ever since he found out about his father, he wanted to do something about it." She noticed the hard stare in Rukia's eyes. "Don't worry about it, Rukia-san," she assured with a slight smile. "Who knows? Something may not happen to him and when we catch up to him..."

"When we catch up to him, I am going to send him home," Rukia snapped.

Tatsuki and Renji looked at each other for a moment and then turned back to their friend.

"Look," Renji said, "anything could happen while he's," he paused for a moment, remembering that Aiko was there in Rukia's arms, "_there_. Also, who knows, last night he probably have learned his zampakutou's name."

Rukia, Hinamori, and Tatsuki looked at him, eyes full of slight shock.

There was a moment of silence until Hinamori spoke up. "Then that makes sense. Suppose he did learn his zampakutou's name and learned to release its shikai, then he must have been confident enough to rush ahead of us."

Rukia's eyes softened. She wanted to believe what her subordinate was telling her, but something just was not quite right. The guards would never allow anyone through the Senkaimon unless they had permission. How could Ryuichi have gotten past them?

As they were nearing the Senkaimon, Urahara Kisuke and his wife, Yoruichi, who had been made leader of the Covert Ops once again, were there waiting for them. Since she was expecting a child of her own, however, she had been temporarily relieved from her position, which was replaced by Soi Fon.

"Ah there you guys are," Urahara greeted with a sheepish smile. "Rukia-san, there's something I want to tell you..."

"Ryuichi is gone, I know," Rukia interrupted. Urahara froze for a moment. Rukia noticed the shocked expression in his eyes. "What is your problem, Kisuke-Taichou?" She asked. No response. Rukia gaped as she carefully handed Hinamori Aiko. Then she marched towards Urahara and grabbed his haori violently. "What the fuck did you do this time?" She hissed.

Urahara raised his hands, begging for mercy. "Rukia-san, please go easy..."

"Like _hell_ I'm going to go easy!" Rukia snapped even more harshly. "Now, tell me. What the fuck did you do? Did you let my son go into Hueco Mundo? _Did you?_"

Yoruichi, who had overheard, glared at her husband. "Urahara, is this true?"

Urahara laughed sheepishly. "If you must know, Rukia-san, I had let him go. After all, I was out for a walk and..."

Rukia tightened her hold abruptly. "And what? Spill it, Kisuke!"

Urahara continued his frantic explanation. "I saw him release his shikai! So to test him, I sent him ahead to Hueco Mundo! I swear on this!"

"You have _any_ idea what you have done? What happened 15 years ago? Why I am strongly opposed to allowing him to go? What if something happens, huh? What if Aizen got a hold of him again? You've got some nerve, Kisuke!" Rukia tightened her hold even further. "If _anything_ happens to my son, it will be on _your_ conscience, Kisuke!"

"I'm sorry, Rukia-san!" Urahara exclaimed. "The kid has great determination to save his father though; after all, he _is _Ichigo's son!"

Yoruichi placed a hand on Rukia's hand. "Let him go, Rukia. He's got what he deserved. I will make sure he gets the rest of it. Let it go for now."

Rukia sighed harshly as she let go with a slight push. Urahara straightened his haori

Rukia continued on her way towards the Senkaimon. "Come on, guys. Let's go."

Tatsuki, Renji, and Hinamori nodded as they followed their comrade. Aiko was unable to comprehend why her mother was acting like that, but she had seen her mother angry before and she knew in her heart that her mother was upset about something.

They finally arrived at the Senkaimon, where all the captains and lieutenants of the Gotei 13 were waiting for them. Ruby and Jade were also waiting for them.

Hinamori handed Aiko to Byakuya, who took her without hesitation, knowing fully well his sister's reasons.

Rukia softened her eyes when she turned to face her daughter. "Look after her, Nii-Sama."

Byakuya nodded as he adjusted Aiko against his chest. "Don't worry about her, Rukia. She will be kept safe at the manor. I will make sure of that."

Rikichi, his lieutenant, beamed at Renji. "Good luck, Renji! You're the best ever!"

Renji smirked. "That's Abarai-Taichou to you."

Jade rolled his eyes. "Can we get this over with already?"

The guards nodded as they opened the Senkaimon.

Before Rukia and her group could step through, however, Yamamato explained, "As most of you may know, the late Kurotsuchi-Taichou had this gate enhanced to send anyone to Hueco Mundo, should the need of it arrive. For those of you who don't know," he motioned towards Jade and Ruby, "after the first war against Aizen, the previous captain of the 12th Division had learned some techniques in opening a garganta that would lead anyone to Hueco Mundo and back out of there. Using this technology, he enhanced the Senkaimon to allow anyone to access Hueco Mundo, providing they have permission to do so, when necessary. Prior to this, anyone could go to the World of the Living first and then go to Urahara's Shop so that he could create a garganta from there. With all of that said, good luck all of you and bring Kurosaki-Taichou back safely."

Rukia nodded. "We will, Yamamato-Sou-Taichou, and thank you."

"Yeah! Renji!" Rikichi yelled from the background. Renji grimaced in annoyance. "You're the man, Renji! Knock them dead! Whoo!"

In unison, the group of 6 entered the Senkaimon, prepared for their dangerous mission into the eerie atmosphere of Hueco Mundo.

* * *

Meanwhile, in Hueco Mundo, Ryuichi was running along the sandy terrain towards the great, white fortress that loomed ahead of him. He cursed to himself as he ran, knowing why it would have been such a hassle to his father when he went through the same event. He seemed to have run for hours and he felt that he could not get anywhere closer to the castle.

A rocky outcrop caught his eye and curiosity caught the better of him when he saw a small light through the cracks. He turned and ran towards the outcrop, wondering if whoever was over there would help him get to the castle, even if he had to force them to do so.

When he got closer towards the light, he saw a couple of people there as well as a worm-like creature and two others that seemed to look like hollows. He narrowed his eyes as he crept through cracks of the outcrop.

Grimmjow noticed the newcomer arrive in the camp and drew his sword immediately. "You there!" He marched towards Ryuichi, who had his hand on his hilt. "What the fuck could a shinigami like _you_ be doing here?"

"That's my line," Ryuichi shot back, borrowing one of his father's common phrases. "I need help getting into that castle." He pointed towards Las Noches.

"You retarded?" Grimmjow spat, tightening his hold onto his zampakutou. "You have any idea of what dangers could await you there. After all, you're just a kid!"

Ryuichi sneered at the response. "A kid? Please... Don't make me laugh! You don't even know me! My father was only a 'kid' when he infiltrated the place...twice! Both times, he got back out fine. Don't you dare think that I am not able to do the same!"

At that moment, Neliel joined the fray. "Your father?" She studied Ryuichi's looks closely and realized that he resembled a great deal like Ichigo. "You must be Ichigo's son." She gasped with shock. "You're _Ryuichi_!"

Grimmjow eyed his girlfriend in disbelief. "What the fuck are you getting at, Neliel?"

"Grimmjow," Neliel said as she pointed towards Ryuichi. "Take a good look at him and look who he resembles."

Grimmjow squinted as he too examined Ryuichi and an image of Ichigo formed in his mind for a second. He lowered his sword as he continued to stare. "So you're Ichigo's brat."

Ryuichi gritted his teeth. "How the hell do you know my father?"

Neliel smiled. "We're friends of his; well, Grimmjow here was an enemy of his but then he became an ally. Your father saved our lives a number of times." Grimmjow shuddered at the memory. He did not like the thought of being saved from the shinigami, even if that shinigami was an ally. Then Neliel frowned. "We found out what happened to him, and we assume that you are here for that reason."

Ryuichi raised an eyebrow. "You spies for Aizen or something?"

"Along those lines," Neliel replied. "For fifteen years now, ever since we chose to live here as rogues, we have taken turns spying on Aizen and his followers. Grimmjow has this goal in mind to take over Las Noches and he has been training non-stop to try to overthrow Aizen, even though he knew it wouldn't be that easy. However, there's not much to train on but minor hollows that intrude on this camp. Rarely there had been Menos-type hollows that would come here to try to prey on us, but Grimmjow needs more of a challenge."

"Get to the point, Neliel," Grimmjow intervened, glaring at Ryuichi with distrust.

Neliel nodded at him in reply and then she turned back to Ryuichi. "We were hoping that Ichigo's friends and/or family would come here for assistance because we would use our knowledge of Aizen and Las Noches to help them."

"That is why I'm here anyway," Ryuichi said. "I'm hoping if I could get some help to get to Las Noches."

"Let me guess," Neliel said, "you have been running for what seemed like hours and you seem to not be getting anywhere."

"Yea, something like that," Ryuichi nodded. "So will you help me out?"

Neliel nodded as she turned towards the "hollows" and the worm-like creature. "Dondochakka, Pesche, Bawabawa," she called, "come over here."

The gigantic worm crawled towards the group, followed by its hollow companions.

"What's up, Neliel-sama?" Pesche inquired. Then he noticed Ryuichi in front of him. "You must be...uh...what's-his-name's son because you look a great deal like Ichigo's friend!"

Ryuichi raised an eyebrow. "Um...I am Ichigo's son. What are you talking about?"

Neliel chuckled with amusement. "Pesche always seems to get Ichigo and the Quincy, Ishida's names mixed up."

"Oh," Ryuichi said with disinterest.

Dondochakka jumped right front of Ryuichi, forcing him to step back in a startled movement. "And I'm Dondochakka, don'tcha know!"

"What the fuck do you think you're doing? You nearly gave me a heart attack! God damn it!" Ryuichi cursed as Dondochakka was taken aback.

"You're not so nice, don'tcha know!" Dondochakka exclaimed – his tears streaming down like waterfalls from his large, bulbous eyes.

Ryuichi scowled and rolled his eyes. "You're acting like idiots. Why shouldn't I be 'not so nice'? Besides, the more I spend time here, the more time I waste."

Grimmjow spoke up. "I know how he feels. So let's hop on this thing and go to Las Noches."

Ryuichi turned to him with questioning eyes. Neliel noticed the younger man's expression. "Grimmjow and I will come with you to make sure your access into Las Noches is easier, as there are many Arrancar guards that walk about." She turned on her heels to walk towards Bawabawa, where, on his back, Grimmjow was already waiting with Dondochakka and Pesche. With slight hesitation, Ryuichi followed, feeling that he could probably trust these two despite them being arrancar.

The trip towards the castle did not seem very long and Ryuichi was relieved to find that he had some kind of transport. He made some conversation with Neliel, who had been asking him questions about what his parents had been doing and what his life as a shinigami was like. Since there was plenty of thoughts weighing on the younger Kurosaki's mind, he did not speak up very much.

Once they arrived at the castle, Grimmjow, Neliel, and Ryuichi jumped off Bawabawa's back. Neliel turned to Dondochakka and Pesche. "Both of you go to where it's safe and watch for anyone else who might be coming for Ichigo."

"Will ya be okay, Neliel?" Pesche asked with slight concern.

Neliel grinned with confidence. "Don't worry about me, Pesche. A few arrancar aren't strong enough to hold off the two of us." She turned to Grimmjow with her confident smile and he smirked in return.

"Good luck, don'tcha know!" Dondochakka exclaimed as Bawabawa carried them away from the castle.

Ryuichi turned to Neliel and Grimmjow. "So, any advice or something?"

"Aizen has a number of arrancar guarding throughout the castle," Grimmjow advised. "Don't worry about them attacking you for Neliel and I have that part. How are you at sensing reiatsu?"

"I was told that I sense reiatsu very well, even better than my dad," Ryuichi replied. "In fact, I could probably sense Aizen's reiatsu in there...or some very powerful reiatsu anyway. It's kind of suffocating in a way."

"Just wait until you're up close and personal with the guy," Grimmjow trailed off but Ryuichi was not phased in the slightest. All what mattered what getting his father back and nothing else.

Neliel smiled. "Then let's go."

Within seconds, the three dashed towards the front entrance.

As expected, several guards spotted them and charged towards them head on. Neliel and Grimmjow smirked at one another as they drew their swords. Then they separated, slashing through the screaming arrancar as they tried to stand their ground. Ryuichi used this moment to continue running into the castle; Grimmjow and Neliel followed.

Not too long after that, more guards ambushed them. Several blasted cero and bala while others charged with their swords drawn. Neliel dodged the reiatsu blasts and Grimmjow parried them off with his blade, and then they continued charging at them. The arrancar continued to fight, shooting bala and cero and slashing their swords. However, their efforts were futile as Grimmjow and Neliel were much more powerful since they were both former espada. Grimmjow slashed one guard across the chest and another through the throat. Neliel stabbed one guard through the chest and sliced through another's neck, severing his head from his body. Blood splashed everywhere as the guards met their doom.

Ryuichi continued to run, ignoring the fighting and focusing on the task at hand, until an arrancar guard blocked his way. "Yer mine, shinigami!" he shouted as he drew his blade.

Before Ryuichi could do anything, a blade sliced the arrancar in half, spraying his blood in all directions. Standing above the carnage was Grimmjow. "And so are you, bastard," he spat. Then he averted his eyes towards Ryuichi, who was standing still in his spot. "What the hell are you waiting for?" he shouted. "Go NOW!"

Ryuichi nodded as he regained his train of thought and continued on his way, heading towards the throne room where Aizen was probably expecting him.

Meanwhile, Aizen sat in his throne and smirked. He had sensed the approaching boy's reiatsu and was waiting in anticipation to see him again after 15 years.

"What do you want us to do, Aizen-sama?" Aaronierro asked in his lower voice.

"We wait of course," Aizen replied. "He should be here any moment."

As if on cue, a fiery scythe ripped through the walls of the throne room, catching the espada by surprise. Aizen and Gin turned towards the wreckage to see Ryuichi standing there, his zampakutou released. Within seconds, the flaming scythe boomeranged and landed neatly in the young Kurosaki's left hand. He pointed his scythe towards Aizen with a deathly glare in his eyes. "You must be Aizen," he said coolly as he slowly stepped out of the rubble.

Gin whistled. "His zampakutou's got a pretty scary vibe to it. He's impressive! After all, that's to be expected from Kurosaki's kid."

Aizen stood from his throne. "Welcome, Ryuichi. I am indeed Aizen. We may not have met, but I surely remember you."

"I _know_ you do," Ryuichi snapped. "I have heard what you had intended to do 15 years ago. Now, I'm doing the same thing that my father did; I've come for him! Where is he?"

Aizen chuckled. "You really want to know?"

"Spit it out, Aizen," Ryuichi demanded. "Tell me where my father is or I will be forced to attack with everything I've got."

The espada laughed out loud and Gin's smile grew wider.

Aizen continued to smirk. "He's locked up and had just undergone some experimenting, so he's pretty drugged up right now. However," he chuckled darkly, "you probably would not like what you see when you see him."

Ryuichi started to seethe in rage and tightened his holds on his zampakutou and scythe. "You...BASTARD!" With full strength, he flung his scythe at the evil lord who immediately caught it with his artificial hand.

Aizen chuckled as he examined the flaming scythe. "My, my, what an interesting weapon. It's too bad you act out of anger. Didn't daddy tell you not to lash out?" He chuckled once again as he finished the taunt. Ryuichi growled as he tried to tug on the chain, but the scythe did not leave Aizen's grip.

Then wisps of smoke rose from Aizen's hand. He glanced at his arm in shock when he noticed that it was gradually turning red and smoking as though it were being made at a blacksmith's shop. He shrieked and threw down on the ground, giving Ryuichi the chance to retract his weapon.

Aizen turned sharply towards his enemy's son – eyes full of fury. "You little _brat_!" He hissed. "What the fuck is with your zampakutou?"

After inspecting his zampakutou for a second, Ryuichi figured out the answer to that. "When someone but me touches it, it burns them. The heat must be pretty intense after what it had done to your arm." Then he smirked. "That gives me some kind of advantage. I'll fight all of you and then get my father back."

"SIEZE HIM!" Aizen screamed.

The espada charged at Ryuichi at once with their swords drawn and surrounded him.

Ryuichi looked around at the espada surrounding him. "You're not going to kill me? What a pity."

"I'll answer that question for you," Szayel said, giving a villainous smile. "You're more valuable to Aizen alive than you are dead. In fact, if you come with us, you will get to see your father again before we completely change him."

Ryuichi gaped once again. He rushed towards Szayel, swinging his sword at him. Szayel blocked the attack, holding off his opponent with shear force. Sensing Yammy attacking from behind, Ryuichi flung his scythe at him. Yammy dodged and Stark parried the blade with his sword. Ryuichi retracted his scythe and went back to his opponent, who was trying to break free from their stalemate.

"Your...blade...is quite interesting," Szayel grunted as he struggled. "Reminds me of...fire."

"It's a fire-type, dumbass!" Ryuichi shouted as he kicked the mad scientist away. Then he blocked an incoming attack courtesy of Aaronierro. With his scythe, he managed to make a shallow gash in the espada's stomach. "DAMN YOU!" His high voice screamed.

Using his sword, Ryuichi sliced upward, splitting the tall mask in two.

Within a matter of seconds, Aaronierro shifted his appearance to that of Kaien Shiba, the former lieutenant whom Rukia had idolized so much. He rotated his zampakutou with one hand and shouted, "Rankle the seas and skies, Nejibana!" The zampakutou changed to a long, 3-pronged spear.

Ryuichi gasped in shock. He remembered his mother telling him that she fought an espada that could take the form of her mentor and that ended up in a draw, with both of them defeated by one another. At first he was confused to how this espada was still standing, but then he also remembered that he was revived by Orihime Inoue and her rejection powers, as what his mother had told him before.

"I guess your mother told you about me, huh?" Aaronierro said with a wide and evil grin. "After all, the shock is in your face. But don't worry," he twirled the spear before readying it for battle, "everything will end now."

Ryuichi relaxed his face and went into a fighting stance. He flung the scythe at the espada, who dodged it and then countered with a stab of his spear. Ryuichi dodged the attack and countered with a slash of his sword, catching his scythe as it flew back to his hand.

From the corner of his eye, Stark and Szayel attempted to make their surprise attack. However, that was intercepted by a slash of Ryuichi's scythe. He spun around and blocked another attack from Aaronierro, panting from the overwhelming attacks that had repeatedly been laid on him. He knew that he would not hold his ground forever. After all, there were too many opponents attacking him at once.

Suddenly, two flashes zipped past Ryuichi, stunning him in his place for a moment. Before he knew it, two blades pressed against his neck on either side. He was about to attack the new attackers with his scythe and blade, but a blunt force courtesy of Yammy disarmed him.

Ryuichi fell to his knees after the impact, wondering what happened to him. He averted his eyes to see who had stunned him and had found out that they were two arrancar: a tall man with long blonde hair and another man with a feminine appearance and short black hair. They were Barragan's fraccion – Findor and Ggio – and both of them were smirking evilly.

"You lost, kid," Findor announced as he pressed his blade harder against Ryuichi's throat. "It's over." Then he turned to Szayel. "He's all yours, Szayel-sama."

Szayel's grin grew wider as he grabbed the young man by the arm. Ryuichi tried to fight him off, but Szayel grabbed the other arm and twisted it behind his back with force, causing him to hiss in pain. "Your father has been co-operative lately," Szayel whispered in Ryuichi's ear. "So I'll take you to him." Ryuichi growled as he was pulled away from the throne room, towards the cell where his father was locked inside.

Above the throne room, Neliel and Grimmjow had watched the entire situation. While Grimmjow's face was nonchalant and cold, Neliel's was full of horror. It did not take long for Grimmjow to narrow his eyes and snarl, "It begins now."

Neliel turned to face her boyfriend in question. Without looking at her, Grimmjow closed his eyes. "They're coming...and they will be here soon."

The scene switched to Rukia, Renji, Tatsuki, Ruby, Hinamori, and Jade as they ran across the desert towards Las Noches; desperation filled Rukia's eyes as she ran with the others.

* * *

_**Next time on Incomplete Sorrows...**_

"_You don't want to see me like this, Ryuichi," Ichigo whispered – a whisper full of defeat and depression._

_Ryuichi knelt to his knees in front of his father. "Please, Dad."_

_Ichigo sighed as he swallowed his pride. He knew he had to show his son the horrors that were partially forced out during his experimental tortures. Slowly, he stood up. Ryuichi noticed that his father's robes were torn from the abuse that was inflicted on him. When he stood fully upright, Ichigo opened his eyes, revealing yellow on black._

_Ryuichi stood up as well so that he could see his father clearly in the moonlight and gasped in horror at what he saw. "Dad...what...did they do to you?"

* * *

_

Hey guys! Sorry it took so long to write this as I was very busy preparing for the holidays. I also had writer's block so it was really tough to write this chapter. However, the next chapter is going to be easier to write as I had been planning what to write there. And yes, you will find out the horrible truth that Ichigo had been keeping from his son all his life. Most of you may know already what that is, but it will help a lot with the angst of this story.

Hope you all enjoyed, and please review!

Take care!


	9. Horrifying Reunion

**Chapter 9: The Horrifying Reunion**

He sat in the fetal position in the corner of cell, wrapping his arms around his legs protectively. Ichigo could not remember the last time he felt so helpless. He had lost all hope – when they had partially changed him.

It was only two moments of experimental torture, but they had done enough to rob the captain of his confidence and hope. The drugs they had injected into him, the malicious glow from the Hougyouku that he was exposed to, the seemingly painful incision they had made into his chest – which he never felt since he was under a potent anesthetic.

And now, with all these memories in his head and with his changed appearance, he hoped that no one from his family could see him like this. He had a feeling that his allies will be coming shortly to rescue him, but he wanted them to turn back and leave him behind – especially Ryuichi.

Another memory entered his mind – a memory of when Ryuichi was only a baby, a memory that Ichigo had always dreaded.

_Ichigo stood over his son's crib as he watched him sleep. Ever since he had heard from Urahara that his son may have hollow powers of his own, he was not sure of what to do. Rukia had yet to hear about this, and he knew that it would be hard on her._

"_How's our son doing, Ichigo?" Rukia asked from behind._

_Ichigo turned around sharply to face his fiancée. Then he turned back to his son. "He's asleep."_

_Rukia frowned as she walked towards the love of her life. "You look like something is on your mind."_

_Ichigo sighed. This would be the perfect time to tell Rukia of what he had just learnt. "I spoke to Urahara-san today," he trailed off._

_Rukia looked at him puzzled. "And?"_

_Ichigo turned to face Rukia and then, with a quick glance at his son, he led her out of his room so that they could let him sleep._

_As soon as they sat down at the kitchen table, Ichigo started his explanation. "You know that I'm a viazard, right?" Rukia nodded. Ichigo continued, "Well, Urahara-san told me that my hollow powers can be genetic."_

_Rukia gasped in shock. "You-you mean?"_

_Ichigo nodded. "A bit of my hollow powers may have been transferred to Ryuichi when he was born. It's a strong possibility because he is our first-born child."_

_Rukia was still confused. "You said that they may have been passed on to him, but how does he know that for sure? It does not make much sense."_

"_The chances of our son having hollow powers are still at about 50%. I really hope that it would not be the case."_

"_I hope not either," Rukia whispered, trying not to scream at her fiancée. "What will we do if he does have hollow powers?"_

_Ichigo was thoughtful for a moment. "Urahara-san said that his powers will awaken at some point in his life, if he does have them, that is. We must hope for the best. In fact, the viazards that I had trained with know a great deal on how to control one's hollow powers. So should Ryuichi's hollow powers awaken, I will refer him to them."_

_Rukia nodded in understanding, but she was still very worried for her son. "Will he be all right, Ichigo?"_

_Ichigo smiled reassuringly. "Yea, all we have to do now is hope for the best and not tell him until it's the right time."_

Ichigo tightened his arms around his legs even further. Of all times he had to tell his son the truth about himself, it had to be now. He did not want to do it, but with all these circumstances, he felt that he did not have much choice.

The sound of the door opening alerted him, and his eyes widened when his son was pushed through. Szayel was standing in the doorway, and Ichigo hid his face partially but he remained in earshot with what the espada had to say. "I'll give you 20 minutes at most," the scientist said, "I must prepare for experimenting on you, but this should be plenty of time for you to be reunited with your father." He motioned towards Ichigo huddled in the corner of the cell.

Ryuichi turned around sharply. "D-Dad!"

"Like I mentioned," Szayel continued, "he was quite cooperative so this is what he will get. I will come back in 20 minutes to fetch you. Talk to him as much as you like. See you soon!" Szayel slammed the door shut, then he locked it and walked away.

An awkward silence fell between the two as Ryuichi continued to stare his father. Before he could speak, Ichigo asked, "Why have you come?"

Ryuichi was taken aback by the question. "Isn't it obvious? You have any idea of how the news of your capture hit everyone?"

"Ryuichi..."

"_Especially_ Mom? Hell! She and I had to fucking lie to Aiko about you! You know how hard it was? She was crying every night, Dad! Crying...because she thought it was _her_ fault! She and I lost an absolute amount of sleep over this."

Ichigo did not say anything. He continued to stay in his usual spot, not even looking at his son. He understood what his wife would be going through, and he did not want her to think it was her fault.

"Dad?" Ryuichi repeated as he moved closer to his father slightly.

"It's not her fault," Ichigo trailed off. "I'm sorry she had to go through all of that, and I wish that I could see her again. However, I don't think that anyone wants to see me like this."

Ryuichi raised an eyebrow in confusion. "What do you mean?" Ichigo said nothing. "Dad? Show me what they did to you," Ryuichi pleaded, eyes full of concern.

"You don't want to see me like this either," Ichigo whispered – a whisper full of defeat and depression.

Ryuichi knelt to his knees in front of his father. "Please, Dad."

Ichigo sighed as he swallowed his pride. He knew he had to show his son the horrors that were partially forced out during his experimental tortures. Slowly, he stood up. Ryuichi noticed that his father's robes were torn from the abuse that was inflicted on him. When he stood fully upright, Ichigo opened his eyes, revealing yellow on black.

Ryuichi stood up as well so that he could see his father clearly in the moonlight and gasped in horror at what he saw. "Dad...what...did they do to you?"

Ichigo sharply turned away from his son. "They turned me into a monster!" His voice sounded hoarse, as though it were laced with fear. "A _monster_. They are going to do the same thing to you. They are going to turn you into a weapon against your will...like what they are doing to me."

Ryuichi did not know what to say. He was not sure if he had any hollow powers or not, so how it could be possible if he was turned into one of the enemy?

Ichigo slowly turned to face his son once again. There were no words to describe how Ryuichi felt when he saw the partially-altered appearance that beheld his father at that moment. A very deep scar marked his bare chest, formed in the shape of the trademark hole that was on a hollow's chest. Dark markings showed on the right side of Ichigo's face, forming a pattern that was reminiscent of that on his hollow mask. And his eyes – his eyes were most frightening of them all. The pupils were yellow and the scleras surrounding them were black.

"Dad..." Ryuichi trailed off in shock.

Ichigo averted his eyes to the floor, as though he were ashamed of doing something wrong. "I told you, you didn't want to see me like this," he said, tightening his hands into fists for a moment. Then he took off his haori to stare at the large kanji character for 5, which took up the upper half of the white garment. "What captain would have hollow powers? What captain would look like...like _this_?" Ichigo threw the haori aside in frustration. "It makes me sick!"

Ryuichi was still at a loss for words. He was still not sure of what was going on as Ichigo had always left out the fact that he was part hollow as well. "Dad, tell me something. Why you...and me? Why is Aizen doing this to us? We can't possibly..."

Ichigo interrupted his son. "We do...both of us."

Ryuichi was more confused than he ever was. "What?"

Ichigo sighed and looked his son in the eyes. "When I was trying to get my shinigami powers back, I had to go through this exercise in which I was thrown in a pit and had to depend on my reiatsu only in order to get out. My soul chain was severed and I was kept in that pit for 3 days. I was losing all hope and then the chain corroded all the way through. I tried to resist and because of my resistance, my mask was born first. My shinigami powers came back to me after that, but after my hollow powers got awakened, I had this fear that one day my hollow spirit would take over and it will be game over for everyone that I love."

"And those powers were passed on to me when I was born?" Ryuichi clarified in a low voice. Ichigo nodded. "Why didn't you tell me?" Ryuichi hissed.

Ichigo sighed. He knew that his son would be mad at him like this. "I wanted to protect you. I was hoping that this day wouldn't come."

Ryuichi furrowed his eyebrows. "I'm tired of being protected," he growled. "I have a hollow spirit inside me... I can't believe you didn't tell me that!"

"You can hate me all you want, Ryuichi," Ichigo calmly whispered. "I know I'm as bad as your grandfather, and I'm guilty that I didn't tell you."

Ryuichi did not say anything. He did not know what to think anymore. However, the horrible nightmare that he had before coming here started to make a lot of sense. So it was a foreshadowing of what was to come. He shuddered at the thought, but he was still puzzled by this truth. "Why haven't I been able to encounter this spirit?"

"It's not awakened yet," Ichigo replied. "I was also hoping that it would not be awakened by any means, but I did not think that Aizen would capture us both."

"So the experiments that espada is about to put on me are going to awaken them?" Ryuichi inquired. Ichigo nodded.

At that moment, they heard the lock click and the door opened, revealing Szayel with a couple of his fraccion. "It's time, Ryuichi-kun."

Ichigo widened his eyes as he jumped in front of his son. Ryuichi stared at his father in alarm.

Szayel chuckled. "Well, well, well. What have we here? You're still trying to protect people even while in bondage, huh, Kurosaki?" Ichigo growled as he tried to stand his ground. Szayel frowned. "Know your place. You can't do a thing to protect your son in these conditions. Either we do this the hard way or the easy way. Hand over your son before my fraccion beats you to bloody pulp."

"Dad?" Ryuichi whispered, but his father hushed him without taking his eyes off of Szayel.

"Well, Kurosaki?" Szayel said impatiently. "We don't have all day."

"Don't lay a finger on my son," Ichigo growled.

Szayel sighed. "You leave me no choice. Fraccion, give me the boy."

The fraccion leapt towards Ichigo, who stood at a fighting stance. As soon as they landed in front of him, Ichigo punched one in the face and kicked another in the gut. He blocked any attacks that were given to him and dodged others. However, he did not stand his ground much longer, as the largest fraccion punched him in the face with full strength, causing him to collapse onto the ground. Another fraccion grabbed his arms before he could get up and fight them off anymore, while the larger fraccion grabbed Ryuichi's arm and carried him towards Szayel.

"RYUICHI!" Ichigo screamed as he struggled in the fraccion's grip. "LET ME GO, YOU STUPID BASTARD!"

The fraccion twisted Ichigo's arms abruptly, causing him to shriek in pain.

"Dad!" Ryuichi shouted in Szayel's grip, but using the other hand, the mad scientist covered the boy's mouth before he could shout anymore.

"Quiet boy!" Szayel hissed. Then he turned to Ichigo, who was panting in the fraccion's grip. "I thought that you could co-operate, but I guess not. After all, Aizen-sama is not finished with your family just yet." He chuckled. "He has sent a couple of arrancar after your precious little daughter." Ichigo and Ryuichi gaped in horror. Szayel laughed at their faces. "Aizen-sama assumes that the girl has hollow powers as well. So once her capture is complete, I will do some experiments on her."

Ichigo growled. "You _bastard!_ What if she doesn't have hollow powers?"

"Then she'll die," Szayel replied with an evil smirk. "There's nothing you can do about it. After all, your transition is nearly complete. Good day, Kurosaki-san!"

The fraccion that was holding Ichigo in place threw him to the ground and kicked him away. Then he followed his master out the door before it was slammed and locked within a matter of seconds.

Ichigo ran towards the door and pounded on its surface. "YOU BASTARD! YOU WILL NEVER GET AWAY WITH THIS! YOU WILL _NEVER_ GET AWAY WITH THIS!"

After a few minutes of pounding on the door, Ichigo sank to his knees, his arm still resting on the door. He was shaking from the fears and horrible feelings that gripped him. There was nothing he could do. They will find out that his daughter has no hollow powers at all and kill her, and they will transform Ryuichi the same way they transformed him. Ichigo gritted his teeth to keep anymore emotions from escaping. "Aiko...Ryuichi..."

* * *

Ruby, Rukia, Renji, Hinamori, Tatsuki, and Jade hurried along the desert terrain of Hueco Mundo, hoping that they would make it to the towering fortress of Las Noches in time.

Jade had no idea how tiresome it would be just to run for what seemed like miles across the desert. The palace was right there in front of them and seemed to be so close, so why was the distance still the same no matter how far they ran?

Ruby, Hinamori, and Tatsuki did not care about the distance problem for they continued to run with the mission in their minds, also praying that nothing bad had happened to Ryuichi.

Having run through this desert before, Rukia and Renji never cared about the run. They knew that they would run into Neliel and her allies very shortly and get help from them in one way or another.

They noticed Bawabawa, Pesche and Dondochakka a fair distance away. While Renji rolled his eyes in annoyance, Rukia beamed for a ray of hope had broken through her despair. "Dondochakka! Pesche!" She shouted.

Said hollows turned around to see Rukia and her group approaching. "Hey, Dondochakka, look! It's the shinigami! Thank goodness!"

"Are they still are our side, dont'cha know?" Dondochakka asked.

"Silly lug!" Pesche replied. "Of course they are! Ya need glasses or somethin'!"

"ReeeenjiiiiiI!" Dondochakka ran with tears streaming from his eyes.

Renji dodged an incoming tackle and punched the large hollow in the head, knocking him to the ground with a groan. "You are just as annoying as ever!" He growled.

"Renji's still a bully, don'tcha know!" Dondochakka complained as he held his head.

Pesche ignored his friend's state and turned to Rukia. "We had received word of yer arrival, Rukia-san. In fact, yer son had been sent ahead into the castle as we speak."

Rukia furrowed her eyebrows as she shifted back to her cold demeanour. "Did anything happen to him?"

"Since Neliel-sama and Grimmjow-sama were protectin' him upon entry, none yet," Pesche replied.

Rukia froze slightly at the name but then remembered that he had switched sides in the previous war. "Then we must hurry. You will take us there right?"

Pesche gave an honourable salute. "Yes, ma'am! We were told to wait for ya so it works out!"

Jade raised an eyebrow at the large worm behind them. "Don't tell me we're taking _that_ thing."

Pesche turned to Bawabawa with pride. "He's the best transportation we've got here in Hueco Mundo. At least, it's better than running for miles and not getting anywhere."

Ruby glared at her brother. "Lighten up, Jade. You want to keep running to the castle or do you want to get there faster?"

Jade sighed as he rolled his eyes. "Fine. Let's go."

They climbed onto Bawabawa's back and were transported immediately to Las Noches.

* * *

Ryuichi lay strapped to a table in Szayel's lab, dreading about what was to come. He also could not understand why his father had lied to him about his inner hollow. Sure, he could understand his father's intentions, but was it really that necessary? He thought of how it could have been different; if his father had told him prior to this. Then he really understood why his father did not tell him until now. Ichigo was afraid of how it would affect him emotionally. However, it did not matter now for what was to come.

Szayel stepped over to the table to check on his test subject. "I have had so much fun torturing your father that I am looking forward to torturing you just as much."

Ryuichi growled in disapproval. "Fuck you, you bastard. You will pay for messing with me and my dad."

Szayel laughed as he prepared a syringe. "Funny that your father had said something similar to that. You can shout curses at me and my fraccion all you want, but the outcome is still going to be the same. So just relax," He stuck the needle into Ryuichi's arm, "and enjoy the show!" He injected the drug inside Ryuichi's bloodstream and he relaxed immediately.

Through his blurred vision, he could see the eerie, violet glow of the Hougyouku and shivered at the events to come. He could barely make out Szayel's voice as he called out orders to his fraccion. He could barely feel more needles being pierced through his skin, but deep, dark, fearsome, feeling rose within him. Could that be his hollow spirit waking up within him? He feared that that could be the answer. Was it the Hougyouku or the liquid being injected into him? He could not tell, but the more the process carried out, the more he wished to cry out or wake up from this nightmare. It was too much for him. Death would be so much easier than this. If the drug that was initially administered into him hadn't affected him, then he would scream at the top of his lungs. The only thing he had to do was ride out this horrible experimental session and hope it would end soon so that he would be back in the cell that he and his father shared.

* * *

The trip to Las Noches was quiet and did not take long. As soon as they arrived, Rukia, Renji, Tatsuki, Hinamori, Ruby, and Jade jumped off Bawabawa. Pesche and Dondochakka remained on the worm's back.

"Neliel-sama and Grimmjow-sama are inside Las Noches," Pesche advised. "When you see them, they will do what they can to help you find the orange-head and his son. Good luck!" Then he, Dondochakka, and Bawabawa left the group to continue their mission.

Jade and Ruby looked around their surroundings, trying to find some kind of clue to get into the palace, when they found that the door had been opened a crack. They turned back to the others, who nod back in approval. Then they proceeded to enter the door.

Ruby sneered in disgust at the bloody mess that greeted them. She could believe that Ryuichi and the other two that went with him were here since there was a slaughter in this area.

Ruby wrinkled his nose from the stench of the murder scene. "Wow, Grimmjow and Neliel really cleaned this place up. They were so adamant to allow Ryuichi to enter this place easily. You should thank them, Rukia."

Rukia sneered at the comment. "Whatever, Renji. Focus on the mission and not some trivial details."

They continued down the hallway in silence until they saw a figure standing in the dark in front of them. There were several torches burning on either side of him, but he was still nothing more than a shadow.

"I wonder who could that be," Tatsuki wondered aloud as they cautiously walk closer to the figure.

The shadow turned around and they could easily make out his smiling, sadistic face.

"Ichimaru!" Renji, Rukia, and Hinamori exclaimed in shocked unison. Tatsuki gasped while Jade and Ruby held their hands on their zampakutou.

Gin chuckled as he walked towards them. "Welcome to Las Noches."

* * *

_**Next time on Inherited Nightmares...**_

_Renji smirked as he reached for his zampakutou. He was looking forward to encounter Gin again and finish his revenge. "You're mine, Ichimaru!" He ran towards Gin with his zampakutou drawn._

_Gin frowned as he blocked Renji's strike. "I'm not interested in fighting you, Abarai."_

"_Too damn bad!" Renji shouted as he tried to slash through Gin's defences. "I've been wanting pay back ever since _you_ killed Kira!"

* * *

_

Happy new year, everyone! :D I hope you guys had a wonderful Christmas break and are looking forward to the positive things 2011 will bring. I sure am, hehe. ^_^

This chapter doesn't have a lot of action in it, but is a very important one nonetheless. Next chapter will have more action in it and you will find out something a bit more about Ruby and Jade. To top that all off, you will also see Ryuichi's hollow powers awaken. Sounds like exciting stuff!

Until then, please review and let me know what you guys think!


	10. The Awakening

**Chapter 10: The Awakening**

Two dark figures stood on the roof of the Kuchiki mansion, waiting for their chance to enter.

Ggio and Findor, the surviving fraccion of Barragan, had been given a very important task by Aizen – infiltrate the Kuchiki mansion and bring him Rukia and Ichigo's daughter, Aiko. They did not know how he knew of the little girl, but they knew why he wanted them to bring her back with them. Since Ichigo was a viazard, the evil lord had assumed that not only Ryuichi had inherited his father's hollow powers but also Aiko as well. Aizen also knew that the Kuchiki manor would be where the youngest Kurosaki would be kept safe.

The arrancar nodded at each other before stealthily jumping down in front of the manor. They casually walked towards the front entrance, watching for anyone who would defend the mansion from them. After all, even a handful of guards would not be enough for a couple of arrancar.

Sure enough, they were spotted as they came close to the entrance. Ggio grinned as he and Findor drew their swords. The guards attacked with everything they had, but were struck down and slashed immediately. The arrancar wiped their blades with one stroke before sheathing them and entered the manor, chuckling in unison while they quietly tip-toed towards the room where Aiko was staying.

However, an old man – Ginrei Kuchiki - blocked their way; the arrancar continued to smirk.

"What are a couple of arrancar like you doing here?" He demanded, narrowing his eyes. "State your business!"

"_Our_ business?" Findor repeated. "It's none of your concern, old man."

"Yea," Ggio added. "You're no match for us. After all, we answer to Barragan-sama and we are the most powerful. So _you_ had made a grave mistake when you stood up to us. But anyway, you are an old man. You should be dead anyway."

Ginrei sighed as he drew his zampakutou. "Your mistake was coming here in the first place. I should teach you to step on aristocratic grounds."

Before he could do anything, Ggio and Findor used sonido to whisk past him, catching him off guard. Two long and deep slashes emerged across the old man's chest and his blood splashed outward as he fell to the ground. The arrancar chuckled darkly as they sheathed their zampakutou.

They crept toward the door and quietly slid it open, not wanting to wake the child, who was sleeping peacefully in her bed.

Findor motioned to Ggio to take her in his arms, and Ggio sneered at the request. Findor nudged his companion in the arm and glared at him. "Take her, dumbass...or else, Barragan-sama will punish you when he finds out," he whispered. Ggio rolled his eyes in resistance, but he went ahead and followed through with the request. After carefully picking her up from her bed without waking her, Ggio nodded to his companion and the two climbed out of the window.

Using sonido, they de-materialized towards the sky and created a garganta, which marked the end of their mission.

* * *

Renji smirked as he reached for his zampakutou. He was looking forward to encounter Gin again and finish his revenge. "You're mine, Ichimaru!" He ran towards Gin with his zampakutou drawn.

Gin frowned as he blocked Renji's strike. "I ain't interested in fighting you, Abarai."

"Too damn bad!" Renji shouted as he tried to slash through Gin's defences. "I've wanted pay back ever since you killed Kira!"

Hinamori's eyes swam with tears when she heard the name. "A-Abarai-Taichou..." She silently whispered, her voice shaky with emotion.

Ruby averted her eyes to her superior in sympathy. She had heard about this man whom her superior loved and what had happened to him, and all what she could do was feel bad for her.

Gin rolled his eyes. "You leave me no choice." He held one hand out with the palm outward and said, "Hadou 33 – Sokatsui!"

A blue fireball escaped from his outstretched palm and collided with Renji's stomach, pushing him back with a shriek. "Renji!" Rukia, Tatsuki, Ruby, and Hinamori shouted in unison.

The wide smirk appeared once again on Gin's face as he turned towards Rukia. "Like I said, I'm not interested in fighting you. All I want is the girl." He chuckled darkly.

Rukia was about to draw her zampakutou when Ruby stepped in front of her. "I don't think so, creep!" She spat. Jade stepped in front as well. "You are to face us," he coolly said as he glared at the snake-like man before them.

"Jade...Ruby," Rukia muttered in surprise.

Ruby smiled as she turned to her lieutenant. "Don't worry about us, Kurosaki-Fukutaichou. We can handle this guy ourselves. You need to worry about rescuing Ryuichi and Kurosaki-Taichou."

Renji stood up with a grunt. The blast did not harm him in any way, but it did surprise him a little. He walked back towards the group and raised an eyebrow when he saw Jade and Ruby standing their ground. "What the hell?"

"Renji, we have to go," Tatsuki said. "They can handle it. We need to worry about the mission."

"I must finish my revenge," he growled.

Rukia rolled as she grabbed her childhood friend's arm and pulled him away. "You're coming with us, Renji. Forget about your revenge for now." Then she turned towards Hinamori. "Come on, Hinamori. They'll be fine."

Hinamori snapped back to reality. "C-coming!" She turned back to the Carmine twins. "Good luck, you two. Don't ever lose to him. He is a very crafty individual."

"Don't worry about us, Hinamori-san," Ruby re-assured with a smile. "We'll take care of him and then join you later. Now go!"

Hinamori nodded at her subordinate and left the area with her group.

Jade and Ruby drew their swords in preparation for their battle.

Gin's malicious grin grew wider with anticipation. "I was actually more interested in you two. After all, Aizen-sama has plans for Rukia-san already set in mind."

Ruby and Jade stared at him in alarm. "What the hell are you talking about?" Ruby demanded.

"Aizen-sama and I had a keen interest in you two. We had a huge feeling you would become shinigami because of your skills. We just needed to motivate you somehow."

Ruby widened her eyes in shock. "Y-you don't mean..."

"Yes," Gin replied darkly. "Aizen-sama hired those men to kill your mother. It was my idea and he agreed."

Jade broke out of his calm and cold persona as he gasped along with his sister. Memories of that horrible night – those men beating their mother to death – had returned with full force. At first he thought that it was coincidence that they were in a terrible place in Rukongai, but he had _no_ idea that those men were hired by an insane shinigami that had been the cause of the most foul hollow experiments when no one had realized it and later would eventually show his true colours to the entire Gotei 13. Jade could not believe it and neither did Ruby, but Jade was hit first.

Seething, he tightened his hold on his zampakutou and screamed, "RESONATE, DENKIMARU!" The blade turned into the guitar with the crescent blade attached to it with a chain.

Gin snickered as he took in the sights of the weapon. "Let's see if our hypotheses about you are correct," he muttered as he prepared himself for battle. "Show me your skills, Carmine."

* * *

Meanwhile, Hinamori, froze when she felt Jade's reiatsu. She could not believe how strong he had become and he was just in shikai state. It was just like those times back at the 5th Division Headquarters when Ryuichi had struggled against Jade and Ruby, and then when the siblings fought each other.

Back at the academy, they were rookies that needed a lot of improvement – she thought at first. But then they surpassed Ryuichi exponentially when they achieved shikai. How could that be?

Then she figured it out. They each had hidden powers that could be awakened when they are provoked. This made their shikai seem like bankai since the reiatsu levels of both releases were so similar in density. If that was the case, their bankai would be so destructive that it could possibly destroy them and everything and everyone around them if not controlled. The feeling made Hinamori nervous. It was just Jade fighting against Gin, but if Ruby were to join him, they would finish off the evil man in one shot.

Hinamori was not the only one that felt it; Renji and Tatsuki had felt it as well. "Holy shit..." Renji said incredulously. "Who knew that an unseated officer could have that much strength!"

"And it's just shikai as well," Tatsuki added. "It feels like a bankai though."

"They're just in shikai," Hinamori explained. Renji and Tatsuki gave her puzzled glances. "But they have hidden powers that could quadruple or even increase their strength tenfold," Hinamori continued. "This happens when they are provoked. Something tells me that Aizen knew about that so he had to do something about it – something that could provoke them in trying to fight him or Gin."

"Whoa," Renji trailed off. "They could finish Aizen off if they wanted to."

"Perhaps," Hinamori shrugged.

"Hate to be Gin right now," Renji said. "He's still mine though..."

"What did I just say, Renji?" Rukia shot her friend a look to kill.

"Let's continue, guys," Tatsuki intervened. "Now that we know what those kids are capable of, our work is cut out for us and we can have more faith that they will beat Gin and join us as soon as possible." Her companions nodded and continued on their way.

* * *

Ripping through the air at high speeds, the crescent blade moved frantically towards its target, controlled by the heavy chords Jade played on his guitar. Gin dodged the attacks and tried to counter with his shikai, but Jade's attacks continued to overwhelm him. This happened until Gin blocked the blade and parried it away, but it boomeranged right back at him. He dodged the incoming attack and the blade continued to speed towards him with persistence.

"You can't dodge and block forever," Jade warned as he continued to control the vicious blade.

"I'll dodge as long as possible!" Gin shouted as he ducked under another incoming attack.

"So naive," Jade mumbled as he changed the tunes on the guitar, forcing the blade to glow brightly. Then he changed the riff slightly and the blade spun in its place, shooting hundreds of lasers from its surface.

"Shit," Gin cursed. He quickly held his hand up. "Bakudou 39 – Enkosen!" A shield of condensed reiatsu appeared in front of him, repelling the laser projectiles.

Jade played another continuous riff, forcing the blade to zip around its target and slice through his back, causing him to shriek. The kidou shield disappeared before he fell to the ground.

Jade sent the blade hurdling down. Gin tried to block it, but it sliced through his shoulder, severing his arm. Blood sprayed from the stump and Gin gave out a blood-curdling cry.

"You're finished," Jade said. He played more riffs and the blade sliced the other arm off before Gin could do anything. "On your knees, dog," Jade said with a sadistic smirk. He forced the blade to slice through Gin's stomach.

"You bastard!" Gin screamed as blood gushed from his heavy wounds.

"You should have thought twice before sending those men to kill my mother," Jade said as the blade sliced through Gin's back once again. "I'm going to make you feel her pain. After all, she died in agony."

Gin tried to scramble away from his torture, but the blade mercilessly sliced through him repeatedly.

"Where's your 'master' now, huh?" Jade continued to taunt. "He wouldn't want to see a pathetic loser like you getting sliced to ribbons now, wouldn't he?"

Gin growled menacingly and coughed up more blood. For once in his life, he just wished he would be finished off already. The cruel, agonizing torture was more than what he could bear. The more the blade sliced through him, the larger the blood puddle around him grew.

Ruby narrowed her eyes and flash-stepped towards her brother. She put a hand on his shoulder. "Stop, Jade. Let him die slowly. He's received enough torture."

She averted her eyes towards Gin's twitching figure. Then she stepped towards him, drawing her katana. "Fucking loser," she spat as she stabbed her katana through Gin's legs. She ripped the sword out and wiped it on her robes before sheathing it.

"Fuck...ing...bitch," Gin breathed before he lost consciousness.

Ruby turned towards her brother, who had reverted his zampakutou to normal. "Let's go," she said. Her brother nodded and they walked out of the area to join the others.

* * *

Elsewhere, Grimmjow and Neliel walked through the upper hallway, hoping to run into any of their allies. However, their luck ran out when they spotted Stark and Lillynette in front of them.

"Aw crap!" Grimmjow muttered under his breath.

"Long time no see, Grimmjow," Stark greeted calmly. Lillynette snickered beside him. Stark's eyes averted towards Neliel. "And Neliel, it has been far too long."

"Get out of the way, Stark," Grimmjow growled.

"And what if we don't?" Lillynette asked with a smirk.

Grimmjow drew his sword. "We will have no choice but to move you ourselves."

Lillynette cackled at the threat. "You? The former 6th espada and the former 3rd espada? Don't make me laugh! Have you _forgotten_ who you're threatening? _Huh_? Stark is the primera espada! We can wipe the floors with you two no problem! You won't even last 5 _minutes_ if you faced _us_!"

Grimmjow growled once again. He had always found the young arrancar annoying, and she had not changed since the last time he saw her.

"I've got one question, Grimmjow," Stark said as he continued to glare at his former ally. "Why would you of all people help _them_? Neliel, I would understand, but you? You've grown soft, and it pisses me off."

"I've got my reasons," Grimmjow replied bluntly. "It's better than serving some dumbass whose plans always fail every time."

"Hence why you betrayed us," Stark said.

"More or less," Grimmjow replied.

Stark drew his sword. "Then I should make you pay – both of you."

"Shall we do this together?" Lillynette asked, hoping for an affirmative response.

"Sit this one out for now," Stark answered. Lillynette rolled her eyes and groaned inaudibly.

Neliel drew her sword as well, but Grimmjow stopped her. "I'll do this for now. You back me up."

Knowing what her boyfriend meant, she nodded and stepped back, allowing him to fight.

* * *

Rukia, Renji, Tatsuki, and Hinamori entered an open space of the castle, not too far from Grimmjow and Neliel's position.

The sound of fighting caused Tatsuki to look up in alarm. "Someone's fighting up there."

"If I were to bet," Renji said, "it would be either Grimmjow, Neliel, or both because I can feel their reiatsu right now."

"I can also feel the reiatsu of the one whom I fought with back in Karakura," Tatsuki added, "and that girl he's with."

"Grimmjow's fucked," Renji sneered. "He's fighting against the primera espada for crying out loud, and he's totally outclassed. Then again, he's got Neliel with him, but I don't know how long they will last against them."

"Have faith in them, Renji," Hinamori advised. "From what I have heard, they're really strong. So they will do the best they can to win."

Renji shrugged. He had no other choice but to have faith in them. After all, they are allies now.

Rukia froze in mid-step, causing the other members of her team to stop as well.

"What's wrong, Kurosaki-fukutaichou?" Hinamori asked, full of concern.

Rukia did not say anything. She continued to stare at a certain someone standing in the doorway in front of them.

Renji's eyes widened in shock as he got a look at who Rukia was staring at. "It...it can't be! That's...impossible!"

Aaronierro, in the form of Shiba Kaien, grinned widely in malice. "Hello there, Kuchiki, Abarai, Hinamori."

Rukia growled as she grabbed her zampakutou. She had a grudge against the espada ever since their previous encounter, and she had a feeling that she would face him again.

* * *

Ryuichi felt a familiar presence even through his drugged state. It can't be! He wanted so much to beat his tormentors even more when he sensed that they too had his sister.

"Ah, there she is," Szayel smiled when Aiko was carried into the room.

"A-Aiko..." Ryuichi whispered, feeling tears well up in his eyes.

Aiko was crying in panic when she was being strapped to a table. "Onii-chan! What is going on? (sob) Help me, Onii-chan! I'm so scared! (sob)"

"Quiet, child!" The fraccion shouted as he held her in place. She cried louder in fear of his loud voice.

"Let go of her!" Ryuichi cried as he tried to struggle against his bonds and emotions.

Another fraccion backhanded him across the face. "Shut up and watch!" He held Ryuichi's head sideways so that he could watch the terrible event happening before him.

Szayel stepped towards the crying little girl, preparing a syringe. "Hello, child, don't worry," he soothed as he stuck the needle inside Aiko's arm. "It's just like a little nap. I'm going to do some quick tests and then I will send you on your way." Aiko's eyes continued to spill their tears as she relaxed and closed them.

"AIKO!" Ryuichi screamed. The fraccion that was holding him struck him on the back, causing him to shriek in pain.

Szayel and a couple more of his fraccion went to work, applying more drugs to Aiko's system. The horrifying event was just too much. Ryuichi had promised himself that he would always protect her. He prayed for some kind of miracle – anything that would save her from this nightmare.

That was when he became paralyzed, even under his straps and the fraccion's hand that held him in place. Ryuichi could not comprehend what was going on. Then, for a moment, everything went black.

An enormous amount of reiatsu exploded outward, pushing the fraccion back and ripping the straps. Szayel and his fraccion looked up from their work in alarm.

It took a moment for the smoke to clear, but when it did, it revealed Ryuichi – a hollow mask and a wide grin donning his face.

* * *

_**Next time on Inherited Nightmares...**_

_A horrible sensation froze the blood in Ichigo's veins. Ryuichi? Something must have happened that awoke his hollow powers. Ichigo tightened his hands into fists as he gritted his teeth. "It has begun... Damn them all..."_

_A click of the lock snapped him back to reality. Ichigo held his breath as he waited for whomever it was to open the door, hoping that it would miraculously be his wife or any of his friends. _

_However, Ichigo felt something a lot more than disappointment – fear or anger, he was not quite sure – when he saw Aizen standing in the doorway, grinning maliciously at his prisoner.

* * *

_

There it is, guys! I've been so busy that I hadn't much time to write, but at least I managed to finish this chapter.

I've also got more news. I spoke to my friend's friend, the one who was going to draw Ruby and Jade, and we had agreed that since she is so busy thanks to university and that she doesn't really draw anything for anyone, the pressure should be taken off. She also didn't really get any details from my friend as well . Ah well. With that in mind, I'm going to start working on the first Inherited Nightmares video-formatted chapter, editing certain characters for Aiko (younger Marron and maybe misc. Anime characters), Ryuichi (Ichigo), Ruby (Rukia), and Jade (Getsuga Ichigo and/or Tensa Zangetsu). The video will be out as soon as I can get it finished. I'm also waiting for someone to message me regarding another video series that I'm working on as well.

In the meantime, I hope you enjoy this chapter and let me know what you think!


	11. Change of Heart

**Chapter 11: Change of Heart**

A horrible sensation froze the blood in Ichigo's veins. Ryuichi? Something must have happened that awoke his hollow powers. Ichigo tightened his hands into fists as he gritted his teeth. "It has begun... Damn them all..."

A click of the lock snapped him back to reality. Ichigo held his breath as he waited for whomever it was to open the door, hoping that it would miraculously be his wife or any of his friends.

However, Ichigo felt something a lot more than disappointment – fear or anger, he was not quite sure – when he saw Aizen standing in the doorway, grinning maliciously at his prisoner.

Ichigo stepped back, gritting his teeth, unsure of what Aizen was planning on doing to him next.

"It's time, Kurosaki," Aizen announced, drawing his zampakutou with a chuckle.

Ichigo did the first thing he could think of. He brought one of his hands in front of his face and Aizen chuckled once again. "I wouldn't do that if I were you. If you draw out that mask, your hollow powers will be out of control. Just remember that you absorbed a great amount of the Hougyouku's power." Ichigo slowly put his hand down to his side and tightened it into a fist.

"And if you were to face me in that state," Aizen continued, taking a step forwards, "you would not really accomplish much in defeating me."

He was right, Ichigo realized. There was nothing he could do. He was helpless without Zangetsu, and there was no telling what could happen if he underwent hollowfication. He was backed into a corner; there was nowhere to run.

Aizen grabbed him by his tattered robes and pulled him forwards. Ichigo tried to struggle against his captor's grip, but to no avail. Aizen's smirk grew wider as he positioned the tip of his blade to Ichigo's chest. "Shatter." Ichigo's eyes grew wide. "Kyouka Suigetsu," Aizen finished as he stabbed the blade through Ichigo's chest. The sword shattered upon impact, leaving hole in Ichigo's chest. Ichigo screamed as he slowly transformed into his hollow form, struggling to fight off the effects. Aizen cackled as he watched the horrible event in front of him.

Not too long afterwards, Ichigo stood in his full hollow form – eyes glowing red with a lust to kill, horns glistening in their splendour. His long, orange hair flowed behind him for a second before settling neatly against his back.

"Welcome to the side of evil, Ichigo," Aizen said as the hollow knelt before his new master. "Your first task is to kill Kuchiki...or you could say, Kurosaki Rukia. She is the enemy, but you are much more powerful than she will ever be. So it should not be too hard for you. You might have her still in your memories."

Ichigo's eyes grew brighter for he understood his task. He straightened up and disappeared from view using sonido. Aizen chuckled darkly in triumph, proud that he had successfully brainwashed the enemy that had defeated him twice in the past.

* * *

Aaronierro chuckled as he stared at Rukia, who was glaring back at him. "Well, well, well, if it isn't Kuchiki, my favourite subordinate," he quipped, pretending to be the one that Rukia had adored the most in her previous life.

Rukia sighed and averted her eyes to the floor in frustration for a moment. "_First _of all," she glared back at Aaronierro, more intensely than before, "You are _NOT _Kaien-dono so your _fucking _games don't work on me anymore. Second, it's Kurosaki now. It has been that way for the past 13 years."

The espada grinned wider and more maliciously. "Ever since I had been revived, I had been waiting for the day to fight you once again." He drew his zampakutou. "But this time there will be one of us standing."

Rukia drew her zampakutou and got into a fighting stance. "You're right, and this time I have every confidence to know that that person is going to be me."

She rushed forwards, murderous intent remaining in her cold eyes. Aaronierro blocked her incoming attack; reiatsu flowed between them as they stalled one another. They remained in that position for a short while until Aaronierro slashed his sword forward past Rukia's defences, causing her to jump back.

"Nice reflexes, Kuchiki," Aaronierro commented, "but not good enough!" He charged towards her and attacked with a downward strike of his sword, but Rukia dodged it with flash step. The espada growled in disapproval and flew towards her once again. Rukia blocked the attack and parried her opponent off.

Aaronierro skidded to a halt. He continued to smirk in enjoyment. "You never cease to amaze me, Kuchiki. In fact, I must admit...you are slightly more experienced than you were the last time we fought one another, don't you think?"

"And you haven't changed at all," Rukia shot back, a slight smirk gracing her face.

The insult made Aaronierro growl. He twirled his zampakutou in his hand continuously. "Rankle the seas and sky, Nejibana!" The katana changed into its trademark three-pronged spear.

Unlike what happened in their previous encounter, Rukia was not phased by the release. She continued to attack with her full strength.

Aaronierro chuckled as he readied his weapon. "Let's do this, Kuchiki. Show me what you've got."

Rukia made a sweeping circle with her zampakutou, transforming it into its pristine white appearance with a trailing silk ribbon. "Mae, Sode no Shiroyuki." Using flash step, she dematerialized close to the espada. "Some no Mae – Tsuki Shiro!"

Aaronierro knew what attack she was using so he immediately disappeared from the icy patch that formed underneath him, laughing at her dismay. "You know better than that, Kuchiki! I already know that attack, remember?"

"I know," Rukia replied. "I was just getting warmed up. And it's Kurosaki, _not _Kuchiki."

Aaronierro charged towards Rukia using sonido and attacked her head-on. Rukia dodged the attack and countered with a sideways slash of her zampakutou. However, Aaronierro rotated his trident so that the staff could block her counter. Rukia attacked another opening, but Aaronierro blocked that attack as well.

The espada laughed once again as he continued blocking Rukia's continuous movements. "Come on! You're being too predictable! Show that you really want to kill me! How about this? Your son is being transformed as we speak."

Rukia clashed her sword with her opponent's weapon and her eyes widened at the news. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Aaronierro chuckled as he leaned into Rukia, trying to slash at her through her defences. "Not only is Aizen-sama after your husband - and yes I had known that you were married to him for quite some time – he is also after your son as well. I'm pretty sure that you didn't tell him that he has hollow powers, didn't you?"

Rukia gasped as she remembered what Ichigo had told her fifteen years ago. So it _is_ true! And that powerful reiatsu that she felt before – that is him!

"And guess who assisted in his capture?" Aaronierro's grin grew wider.

Rukia shrieked in fury. She increased her speed and intensity as she slashed her sword through her opponent's defences, catching him off guard with her increasing power. Reiatsu surrounded her as she glared murderously at her opponent. In a dark voice, she recited this incantation: "Seeping crest of turbidity, arrogant vessel of lunacy. Boil forth and deny, grow numb and flicker, disrupting sleep. Crawling queen of iron, eternally self-destructing doll of mud. Unite, repulse. Fill with soil and know your own powerlessness. Hadou 90 – Kurohitsugi!"

Aaronierro froze in his place as he felt dark energy encase him within an enormous black box. He tried to break out of this, but he could not. Before he knew it, pain erupted throughout his body. He could not see in the dark, but it felt like several swords stabbing through him in various places on his body. The box disappeared, showing him covered in his blood. He fell to his knees, gasping for air. "Damn…bitch…" he croaked.

Rukia materialized towards him and watched as he struggled to stay alive. "You're finished," she stated coolly, raising her sword over his head.

Aaronierro struggled to smirk one last time. "You really don't want to show mercy, huh? You've changed."

Without any second thoughts, Rukia slashed her blade through the espada, cutting him in half and splashing more of his blood. "I'm just sick and tired of hearing your voice."

She was about to turn around to join the others but a suffocating atmosphere surrounded her. It was somewhat familiar, but it was sinister and uninviting. The reiatsu was so dense that she could not move from her place. What was going on?

Her breath caught in her throat as she heard footsteps coming from behind her. Fighting the paralyzing reiatsu that held her in place, she slowly turned around and her eyes widened when she saw her own husband in his hollow form. "I-Ichigo!"

* * *

Hinamori froze mid-step and averted her eyes to an area with utmost terror. Tatsuki and Renji stopped and stared at her.

"What's wrong, Hinamori?" Renji questioned.

"It's Ryuichi-kun!" Hinamori exclaimed. "His reiatsu...it feels so...evil."

"Could it be possible?" Tatsuki asked in confusion. "How could Ryuichi have hollow powers?"

"He must have got them from Ichigo," Renji replied. "In fact, I remember Rukia and Ichigo telling me that there's a very good chance that Ryuichi would inherit his father's hollow powers. Something must have happened to trigger the kid's powers."

Another sensation hit Hinamori as she snapped her head towards another direction. "Rukia's in trouble! I feel a very sinister and powerful reiatsu in her area. She must have defeated the espada that blocked our way before, but she is in deeper trouble!"

Renji growled. He could not put his finger on who could be there with his friend right now, but he knew that Rukia's chances of defeating this new foe were slim to none. But there was also the factor of Ryuichi's situation as well. Renji had a feeling that something was not quite right. The only thing was to check it out.

"Go protect Rukia, Hinamori," he advised. Hinamori turned him with a puzzled look. "With your skills in kidou, you should be able to hold him off."

"I guess," Hinamori said, "but what about you?"

"Tatsuki and I will go towards Ryuichi's location," Renji answered. "Something isn't quite right about this whole thing, and if I were to assume correctly, Jade and Ruby are coming as well. They will join you, I'm sure. Go quickly!"

Hinamori became determined as she nodded in reply. She quickly ran down the hallway back to Rukia's location while Renji and Tatsuki ran towards the laboratory.

* * *

Ryuichi looked around at the arrancar, who were unsure of what to make of the situation, staring back at him. His yellow pupils rested on Szayel, and he chuckled menacingly.

Szayel gritted his teeth. "DON'T JUST STAND THERE, YOU FUCKING IDIOTS! ATTACK HIM!" His fraccion roared as they rushed toward him.

Ryuichi tightened his hand into a fist and then flattened his hand once again. Then he grinned back towards his attackers. "_This is gonna be eaaassssyy!" _He mumbled as he got into a fighting stance.

As soon as his attackers were about fight him with everything they had, Ryuichi did a roundhouse kick against a couple of their masks, stunning them. He punched another right through the mask and he dissolved instantly. Another attacked him, but he sent a piercing sidekick through his mask. A couple more attempted to dive towards him, but he disappeared from view. While they were looking around for him, he jumped down from above them, hammering them with his fists.

He turned towards those whom he stunned before and pointed a finger towards them. Reiatsu gathered at his fingertip as he grinned wider. "_Bye bye!" _He laughed maniacally as the cero burst towards the arrancar while they were charging towards him, disintegrating them immediately.

Now there was just Szayel, who stared in incredible disbelief. "You...you have some fucking nerve! I'm gonna..." He stopped and remembered what his master had told him – he had wanted the boy alive and no other harm done.

Ryuichi cocked his head to the side. "_Gonna what?_" He asked, impatiently. "_You're afraid that if you kill me, your precious Aizen-sama will kill you, am I right? HA! You're so weak! What is it gonna be, pretty boy? Obey your orders and let me kill you, or disobey your orders and try to kill me?" _Szayel growled. "_But let me explain this one thing to you,_" Ryuichi's hollow voice continued, "_You _can't_ kill me, even if you tried! So what's it gonna be, you weak bastard? HUH?" _He threw his head back and laughed shrilly; more of his orange-striped mask started to form on his face.

Szayel chuckled as he drew his zampakutou. "There seems to be a major flaw in your ultimatum. As you can see, I have a weapon to slaughter you with. You? You have _nothing_!"

Ryuichi grinned at his enemy's words. "_Then bring it on!_" He dematerialized above Szayel, holding out one of his palms forward. "_Hadou 33 – Sokatsui_!"

Szayel dodged the cyan fireball before it hit him. Ryuichi fired more fireballs, making the espada scientist dodge them every time. Then he aimed towards the wall surrounding the entrance to laboratory. "_Hadou 66 – Soren Sokatsui!_" Two powerful, cyan fire balls were fired, making the wall explode into rubble.

Szayel growled as Ryuichi grounded himself. "You are some fool!" He charged towards his opponent swinging his zampakutou repeatedly. Ryuichi laughed as he dodged each one, making the espada frustrated even more. "Hold still, you fucking bastard!" He swiped his zampakutou towards Ryuichi's neck, but the young shinigami dodged it and countered with a sweeping kick that knocked the espada off balance. Ryuichi grinned as he slowly walked towards his opponent, preparing to fire a cero towards his way.

"YOU ARE NOTHING BUT AN AMATEUR, KID!" Szayel screamed. "I'M SZAYEL APORRO GRANTZ, THE EIGHTH ESPADA! _YOU_ CAN'T STOP ME!" He slowly stood up from his spot, still grasping his zampakutou tightly.

That was Ryuichi's cue to fire his cero and it hit the espada point-blank before he could dodge or block it, triggering an explosion that was powerful enough to turn the rubble into dust.

He waited a while before the dust settled to see if the cero had done the trick. Szayel still stood where he was – heavy burns covering his body – fuming with rage. "You...will...pay for that," he hissed while attempting to stand up.

Ryuichi chuckled in amusement. "_About time to you showed yourself!_" He charged towards his opponent, about to take another shot at toying with him. He could admit, if he had his zampakutou at that moment things would be a lot easier for him to slaughter this guy for what he did to his father and sister. Of course, that was the real Ryuichi's way of looking at things. This was the hollow counterpart, the one who did not care what happened to any of his loved ones as long as he gets the action he was destined to have.

"You want cero, kid?" Szayel whispered, grinning as maliciously as his adversary. "Here's a bit of cero for you!" He pointed two fingers in front of them and fired a magenta cero.

Ryuichi dodged the attack and fired his own cero as a countering move. Szayel was barely able to block it for he was partially hit in the shoulder. He hissed in pain from the burn.

Before he could do anything else, however, a blade sliced through his back. The cut was shallow, but was deep in enough to splash the espada's blood. He slowly turned around only to face Renji with his sword drawn; his blood dripping from the blade. Tatsuki ran up right behind him.

"Looks like we finally made it," Renji commented. Szayel growled at the intruder. However, he winced as more pain shot through him. The espada turned around to face Ryuichi grinning triumphantly – his hand lodged deep in his chest. Szayel choked out more blood and fell to his knees when Ryuichi wrenched his hand from the wound. "You..._bastard_!"

Ryuichi held a finger out in front of Szayel's face, where another cero was being prepared to fire. Tatsuki gasped as Renji narrowed his eyes and grabbed the boy's hand. "Leave it be, Ryuichi. It's done; it's over for him."

Ryuichi sneered at the gesture. "_Get away from my prey,_" He growled.

"Listen to me, Ryuichi!" Renji shouted. "You`re being like this because of the hollow that has taken over! Fight it!"

"_Don`t tell me what to do!_" He argued as he pointed his finger towards Renji, who backed away in defeat.

Suddenly, a sensation interrupted the hollowfied shinigami, and the malicious grin returned to his face. "_Well, well, well. What have we got here?_ _Something big is going down. This will be interesting!_" The cero that was ready to be fired disappeared from his fingertips. "_You must be lucky, both of you, for I have found some bigger fish to fry_." He disappeared from view towards Hinamori and Rukia's location.

Renji and Tatsuki stared after him with puzzling looks, then glared at the defeated espada beside them. "Looks like I'm going to have to finish you off," Renji said as he brought his blade next to the espada's neck.

"Do it," Szayel ordered, blood trickling down his mouth. "I've been defeated anyway. After all, it's what you would want to do after how I had changed your friend and his son. I was about to experiment on your friend's daughter as well."

"Changed?" Renji repeated. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Szayel chuckled darkly. "Your friend and his son belong to Aizen-sama; although, Kurosaki Ichigo is now on his side. What are you going to do about it?"

Renji was not surprised by the espada's words because when he felt Ichigo's reiatsu earlier, he knew that there was something sinister about it. He also had a huge feeling that Aizen must have something to do about it. However, that did not stop that rage that was building up within that moment.

Growling, he pressed the blade of his zampakutou next to the espada's throat and with one quick swipe, ended his life for good. He wiped the blade before sheathing it and started to walk into the laboratory, but stopped and looked over his shoulder at the bloody corpse of the espada he had slain. "Now you have given me more reason to finish you off for good," he said coolly, "Good riddance. Let's go, Tatsuki." He walked away from the scene towards the bed where Aiko lay unconscious. Tatsuki nodded and followed her boyfriend.

* * *

Rukia's breath caught in her throat as Ichigo slowly walked towards her. She wanted to be happy to see him, but something about the atmosphere told her that this was not looking good. There was a look in her husband's eyes that spelt bloodlust, but how could that be possible? Surely Ichigo must recognize her by now, but why is he still edging towards her?

Maybe if he would recognize her voice. "I-Ichigo!" Rukia called as she fought through the nervous lump in her throat. "Ichigo! It's me! It's Rukia! I hope you can hear me! Ichigo!"

In response, Ichigo pounced towards her, wrapping on his clawed hands around her throat tightly.

"I-Ichigo?" Rukia squinted as she tried to gasp for air. "What's wrong with you? Can...you recognize your wife? Ichi...go?"

But Ichigo did not listen to her. The bloodlust intensified in his eyes and crimson reiatsu started to form between his horns; Aizen's words kept echoing in his mind. _Kill her, Ichigo. You're much stronger than she is. Kill her!_

Rukia's eyes widened when she saw the cero starting to form and tried desperately to escape from her husband's grip. "ICHIGO! STOP!" Her screaming caused her to cough and gasp for more air. She grasped Ichigo's arm tightly and tears started to stream from her face. "I...chi...go! Snap...out of...it!"

_Kill her!_

"Ich...igo! Stop...this!"

_Kill her!_

"Please! Ichi...go!

"Bakudou 63 – Rikujokoro!"

Six rods of light bound Ichigo in place, knocking Rukia from his tight grip towards the floor. She sputtered and coughed as she once again tried to gasp for air, this time succeeding.

"Rukia-san!" Hinamori ran towards her to see if she was okay.

"Hi-Hinamori!" Rukia managed to say through her recovery.

"Are you all right?" Hinamori asked as she stared at her superior and friend with concern.

Rukia smiled but the tears were still streaming down her face. "Yeah, I'll be okay." She turned back to Ichigo, who was struggling to break through Hinamori's binding spell.

"Aizen must have brainwashed him," Hinamori trailed off. Rukia's hands turned into fists. Hinamori turned back to her friend and smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry, Rukia-san. We'll do whatever we can to bring Ichigo back to our side."

Ichigo shattered free from his bonds and leered at the woman in front of him, anger adding to the bloodlust that shone through his eyes.

"I knew he would do that," Hinamori whispered.

"Ichigo..." Rukia sobbed. "Please...recognize us."

Ichigo prepared another cero, hoping that this time it would succeed without any interference. Hinamori gasped in alarm, picked up Rukia, and dodged the cero before it hit them using flash step.

Ichigo fired another cero, and Hinamori shouted, "Bakudou 39 – Enkosen!" A wall appeared in front of them, repelling as much of the cero as possible before it broke. This forced Hinamori and Rukia to dodge the attack once again.

When she saw Ichigo preparing another cero to fire at them, Hinamori shouted, "Bakudou 90 – Danku!" The cero was fired towards them once again, but collided with a transparent shield that formed in front of the women, shaking the room with the impact.

However, the impact of the cero striking the invisible wall was too great for it to handle for it had caused the wall to shatter and disappear. Hinamori pulled Rukia away for safety and nearly collapsed from using too much reiatsu.

"Hinamori!" Rukia exclaimed.

Panting, Hinamori looked up and smiled tiredly at her friend. "That last move really took a lot out of me," she said, "but I'll be okay."

Rukia looked up in terror to see Ichigo walking towards them. "I don't think we will be," she whispered in fear. Hinamori turned around just in time to see her captain break out into a run. "Shit..." She hissed. "Well it looks like he's not going to bombard us with anymore cero, but then again he doesn't have Zangetsu."

"He doesn't need it," Rukia pointed out. "He has incredible power in that form – power so enormous that he managed to defeat Aizen and that espada easily." Hinamori said nothing as she watched the hollow about to attack them with a single slash of his claws. "Rest right there, Hinamori," Rukia said as she stood up as much to her third seat's protest. "I'll try to hold him off."

"Are you crazy?" Hinamori shrieked as she winced at Ichigo disappearing from view.

"It's either hold him off or let him kill us," Rukia explained. "I would rather not let him kill us, even though I know that he's much stronger than I am."

She brought up her zampakutou just in time to block his claws from reaching them. The collision was strong enough to force Rukia to slide along the ground, gritting her teeth. She tried to parry off the attack, but Ichigo slashed at her once again, causing the sword to shatter. The claws also made a deep gash through her shoulder down to just above her stomach, making her shriek from the pain.

"RUKIA!" Hinamori screamed.

Rukia fell down to her knees – her side heavily bleeding. She cursed and panted, and she realized that her husband was just toying with her.

The hollow grinned maliciously and prepared what would seem to be his final cero.

Rukia looked down in defeat as she clutched her injured shoulder, trying to even out her breathing. The reiatsu her husband was giving off was too much for her body to bear, and her injuries and shattered sword were not helping much either. This was not supposed to end, she thought. Her own husband was about to kill her and she knew it. Tears streamed from her eyes as she slowly averted them towards the vicious hollow before her. "Ichigo..."

Hinamori looked away and shut her eyes tightly to avoid watching the horrible event that was about to take place. She wanted to help, but the kidou she was casting had used up too much reiatsu. It had seemed that they had lost hope. Ichigo is about to kill his own wife, and there was nothing she could do about it.

All of a sudden, a kick caught Ichigo off guard and the cero was blasted off course, blowing a hole through one of the walls that surrounded them.

Rukia, who had been waiting for that very cero to destroy her, turned to the intruder alarm and gasped in shock at who it was.

Hinamori had done the same thing. She could not believe who had stood up to their former ally. "Ryu...ichi?

Ryuichi stood in a fighting stance – his face almost completely covered by the flame-designed hollow mask. Half of his mouth, which was not covered, had been pulled up in a malicious grin. "_Hello there...father._"

* * *

_**Next time on Inherited Nightmares...**_

_Grimmjow and Stark charged towards one another and collided in the centre, clashing their swords repeatedly against one another's in a never ending cycle. Reiatsu flowed between them heavily as they did their battle._

_Neliel continued to glance over at Lilinette, who was shifting her weight impatiently. A part of her told her that she should go ahead and fight her, but she reminded herself that she was not that type of person who would attack someone who would not put up much of a fight. However, since she knew what the younger arrancar was truly capable of as well as Stark, it was a matter of time before she too would step in and back her boyfriend up.

* * *

_

O.O! Ichigo is evil now! Don't worry though, he won't be on Aizen's side for very long. This chapter was really hard to write due to continuous writer's block and trying to organize my ideas. I hope you enjoyed reading it though. Let me know what you think!

Take care!


	12. Growl of the Lone Coyote

Hey guys. I'm extremely sorry that this has been so long to write. There were several reasons for this:

1. I had a lot of issues with YouTube suspending my account. I now have a new one called DarkRukia1986 and everything is uploaded on there now.

2. I was off on a trip to Dominican Republic for my cousin's wedding the second to third week in March

3. I had HEAVY writer's block especially during the fight between Stark and Grimmjow and Stark, Grimmjow and Neliel.

4. I had other real life issues such as applying for Persons With Disabilities (I've got Asperger's – a form of Autism which makes it hard for me to be a part of society) and Employment Insurance.

5. I have started on Inherited Nightmares #1 (the video version of that), and it will still take a while yet since I have so many pictures of Ichigo to edit . and that takes a while...

I really hope you guys can forgive me. Here's the story for your reading pleasure. Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 12: Growl of the Lone Coyote**

Grimmjow and Stark charged towards one another and collided in the centre, clashing their swords repeatedly against one another's in a never ending cycle. Reiatsu flowed between them heavily as they did their battle.

Neliel continued to glance over at Lilinette, who was shifting her weight impatiently. A part of her told her that she should go ahead and fight her, but she reminded herself that she was not that type of person who would attack someone who would not put up much of a fight. However, since she knew what the younger arrancar was truly capable of as well as Stark, it was a matter of time before she too would step in and back her boyfriend up.

Grimmjow growled every time he tried to slash through Stark's defences, while his opponent just stared at him coolly. He knew that the primera espada was holding back. Could it be his trademark laziness?

"Come on, you fucking bastard!" He shouted impatiently, preparing to fire a cyan cero with his other hand. "We're not going anywhere here!"

Stark raised an eyebrow and spun his body clockwise, parrying the cero the second it was shot. "Never knew you wanted to die so easily, Grimmjow," he stated with the same cool tone.

Grimmjow grinned as he pressed his fingertips against his zampakutou. "I'm just sick of the same old warm-up routines."

"Bring it on then. Give me everything you've got," Stark said.

"Gladly!" Grimmjow zipped his fingers along the edge of his blade so fast that a reddish glow formed along the surface. "Grind, Pantera!"

A cloud of smoke covered him as he changed into his panther-like form – sharp claws outward and vicious snarl on his lips. Blue energy surged across his surface. Stark covered his face as wind gushed past him, blowing his long dark hair in various directions for a moment before it settled back on his shoulders. Then with an extremely ear-shattering voice, Grimmjow let out a roar, emitting sonic energy waves so powerful that Neliel, Stark, and Lilinette had to cover their faces.

The winds cleared and Grimmjow got into a fighting stance. Stark just stared coldly at his smirking opponent. "Bring it on."

Grimmjow immediately charged towards his opponent, claws outstretched and ready for a slash attack. He immediately swept an arm across Stark's face, but the attack was blocked. Then Grimmjow kicked Stark's chest, but his opponent dodged the attack with sonido. The panther-like espada slid partially across the floor, allowing dust to fly in a cloud. His eyes and ears became alert as he tried to pinpoint his opponent's location.

All of a sudden, Stark charged towards him and brought his sword down onto his opponent's head, but Grimmjow thought quickly – he brought up his arms and shielded the sword from his face. However, the impact of Stark's attack caused Grimmjow to be pushed back into the wall of the hallway, grunting and struggling to counter. His arms trembled underneath the blade of the katana as it was attempted to slice through them.

Using sonido, Grimmjow teleported from view and re-appeared several feet away. Then he whipped his arms to the sides, firing several emerald green darts, which Stark parried away with ease. Grimmjow growled in disapproval. He brought his arms together and a turquoise ball of reiatsu formed in the palms. "Gran Rey Cero!" He screamed as an extremely great cero energy wave exploded out of his hands.

Stark narrowed his eyes and yellow reiatsu started to form at the tip of his chin until it too was let go as a giant wave of energy. Both ceros collided in the centre, shaking the room with a tremendous amount of power and emitting reiatsu in different directions with explosive tendency.

Neliel nervously folded her hands in front of her with worry, praying that her boyfriend would win this battle. She knew that Stark was much more authoritative than the blue-haired espada and had a higher rank, and she also knew that Grimmjow was giving it the best he had. However, she could not shake this feeling that she may be forced to step in, and if that would be the case, Lilinette would be forced to step in too. Either way, Stark seemed to be barely trying for he was too calm in this battle and Grimmjow was struggling to fell the primera espada with everything he had.

Grimmjow snarled as he tried to push his cero past the collision point. He knew that Stark was barely trying, but that did not stop him from wanting to win this battle. With a powerful push, he managed to push his Gran Rey Cero slowly towards his opponent, who widened his eyes in shock at the tremendous amount of effort. Grimmjow screamed as he tried to gather more energy, and Stark growled as the turquoise wave gradually started to devour the yellow wave with such intense perseverance. Then, with a final push, Grimmjow managed to overpower his opponent with such explosive force.

Grimmjow used shunpo to teleport to Neliel's side to check on if she was okay. When she saw him, Neliel flung her arms around him tightly. "You okay, Neliel?" Grimmjow wanted to know.

"I'm well," his girlfriend replied, "are you?"

Grimmjow nodded and parted himself from her so that he could gaze into her eyes.

"Did you win?" Neliel whispered, hoping for a positive answer.

Grimmjow shook his head. "I don't think that attack alone could beat Stark. That just held him off. I might, however, need your help in a very little bit."

Neliel nodded in understanding. She had a strong feeling that that attack could not defeat the primera espada, and she also knew that her boyfriend used up a large amount of reiatsu just to overpower his opponent. "I'll do my best, Grimmjow."

Not too far away, Lilinette twitched at the couple in front of her; her face turned red with frustration. Not taking it anymore, she stomped towards them with her hand on her hilt. "_You _are pieces of _work_!" She shrieked, getting their attention. "You _think_ that attack finished off Stark-sama? _Huh_? You must be fucking _delusional_!"

Before Grimmjow and Neliel could do anything, Stark appeared in front of Lilinette, not taking his eyes off of Grimmjow. He had minor burns on his body from the blast, but other than that, he was not affected. A hard, determined expression showed on Neliel's face as she summoned her sword to her hand.

"You've got guts, Grimmjow," Stark complimented coolly. "You managed to overpower me with such power. Too bad it did not affect me very much. Let's go again, shall we?"

Grimmjow smirked. "I knew that it wouldn't have that much effect on you, but yea, let's have another round." He turned to Neliel, who was holding onto the hilt of her katana. "I wouldn't usually ask this, but since you're my mate and we need to defeat these guys with everything we have, I need your help." Neliel nodded as she pulled out her katana from its sheath and threw the scabbard to the side.

A smirk spread across Lilinette's face as she stepped forward in front of Stark. "Even whatever power you possess wouldn't be much help."

"You wanna bet on that?" Neliel challenged as she prepared her katana for battle.

"If that's the case," Lilinette looked up to her companion, "use your resurreccion and let's beat them together."

Stark narrowed his eyes. "Very well. Kick about, Los Lobos."

Lilinette glowed and split into two identical balls of light, which formed into a pair of gray pistols on each of Stark's hands. Part of her mask appeared on his head, stretching from the back of his head around to the eyepiece on his left eye, with a flame pattern changing to emerge from the eyepiece and follow the mask fragment around to the back of his head while the mask itself was connected, by two chains, around his right eye. A fur vest appeared on Stark's chest in the stead of his trademark espada coat, and his pants changed to skin tight ones accompanied by high, gray fur leggings. On his arms was a pair of fur armbands appearing on his wrists. Ribbon-covered bandoleers emerged from his upper back and spread to his upper forearms.

Neliel's eyes narrowed at the sight for she knew that it was her turn to release her resurreccion. "Declare, Gamuza." The lower half of her body changed into that of a chamois as the katana in her hand transformed into a lance.

Stark's eyes shifted from Neliel to Grimmjow multiple times for a moment and then got into a fighting stance. "This is going to be interesting."

With a single nod to each other, Neliel and Grimmjow separated with sonido. Stark became alert as he watched closely for when they would turn up. As soon as he saw Neliel charging towards him, he aimed towards her and fired a single, large cero. Neliel opened her mouth and sucked the cero inside. Then she re-fired the cero back towards Stark – a cero that was more powerful than the cero that was fired at her.

He silently cursed for he had forgotten Neliel's ability and used cero to try to dodge, but that left an opening for Grimmjow to attack with a roundhouse kick from behind. Stark barely had time to block the kick with one arm and he used the other arm to fire another cero towards the panther-like espada. Using one of his arms, Grimmjow swatted the attack away and fired three more darts towards his opponent, dodging the blast just in time.

Stark had his arm up to shield his face for a moment until the smoke cleared. When he turned around, he noticed Neliel continuing to charge towards her. Knowing that he did not want a repeat of her technique, he fired multiple cero her way but she parried them away with her lance.

Before Stark could do anything, a Gran Rey Cero was shot in his direction. He tried to shoot another group of ceros towards Grimmjow but Neliel stabbed her lance into the primera espada's back, stunning him from the blow.

"You've gotta be careful, Stark!" Lilinette shouted from the pistols and Stark gritted his teeth in annoyance.

"What the hell do you think I'm doing?" he hissed with frustration.

"You keep leaving yourself open to their attacks!" Lilinette replied harshly. "Do you want to win this battle or what?"

Stark knew that his companion had a point. He knew that since these two would be lower rank than him, they should not be defeating him like this. He turned to face the couple that stood in a fighting stance.

"What are you going to do now, Stark?" Neliel challenged in an expressionless tone.

Her mate grinned maliciously. "Do whatever you can to defeat us, but it won't be enough!"

Stark growled. He knew that it was early, but he had no choice. "Lilinette, let's do our ultimate technique."

"WHAT?" The younger arrancar screamed from the pistols. "You have _any_ fucking idea what _you_ are doing? It's too early to use that attack!"

"I know that," Stark spat, never letting his eyes leave his opponents. "But there are two of them and I don't think there's much of a choice in this situation. This technique is best used for more than one opponent. I am _also_ wary of _her_ technique." He motioned towards Neliel.

Lilinette sighed. "Fine. Let's do this then."

The pistols glowed brightly and spread to either side of Stark, taking the form of numerous wolves.

Neliel's eyes widened slightly but Grimmjow kept his cool. "Don't worry," he assured her without looking at her, "just keep your distance from them as much as possible. I will deal with them. What you need to worry about is _him_." He motioned towards Stark, who had pulled out a pair of glowing swords from his bandoleers.

The female espada understood what her boyfriend was asking of her. She was the closest in rank to Stark, so she should be the one to finish him off and Grimmjow had the ability to destroy things from a distance. She nodded in response. "Sounds like a plan. Let's do it."

Grimmjow smiled as Neliel disappeared out of sight with sonido. Then he spread his arms on either side of him. "DESGARRON!" Long, cyan tendrils made up of pure energy formed in his fingertips. "Let's dance, you filthy mutts! This time the _cat_ will be victorious!"

Under Stark's command, the wolves pounced towards the sexta espada, who whipped his tendrils through them thus triggering multiple explosions. Stark created more wolves, but they met the same fate. He growled in frustration as he created more wolves. "Die, Grimmjow!" The wolves pounced once more – this time surrounding Grimmjow in a circle.

Grimmjow spun rapidly, whipping the tendrils through the wolves and triggering more explosions. Once the smoke cleared, Stark created more wolves and charged along with them towards his opponent – his swords raised on either side of him. Grimmjow whipped one arm outward, wrapping the tendrils around one of the swords. Stark tried to cut through them, but noticing this, Grimmjow yanked him forwards, making him lose his balance.

"You'll never win, Stark!" Grimmjow shouted with a laugh.

However, a sharp pain was felt on his leg. He looked down only to see the jaws of one of Stark's wolves clamped onto it. Grimmjow cursed as he tried to shake the beast off his leg, but it would not let go. It glowed brighter and then exploded violently. Grimmjow screamed and shielded his face with his arms as the explosion engulfed him.

"STARK, WATCH OUT!" Lilinette screeched from his conscious.

Before he could do anything, Neliel's lance went through his chest. Gaping with the shock, he slowly turned around to see his attacker with a murderous glare on her face. "You..._bitch_," he choked out, blood dripping down his chin.

Neliel ripped her lance out of her opponent's chest. "You're pathetic," she said darkly. "Let me put you out of your misery, then you won't have to be alone." She raised her front hooves and stomped on Stark's head with bloody force.

"Well done, Neliel," A voice sounded from in front of her.

Neliel reverted her form back to her original one and sheathed her katana. Then she ran towards Grimmjow who was walking out of the passing smoke, body covered in bruises and tattered clothing. "Grimmjow!" She exclaimed as she wrapped her arms around her boyfriend's neck.

"Hey babe," Grimmjow said, wrapping his arms around his girlfriend's torso. "We did it."

Neliel kissed her mate on the cheek. "Yes we did." Then she noticed Grimmjow with a disturbed look on his face. "What's wrong?" She questioned, her smile changing into a concerned frown.

"Something doesn't seem right," Grimmjow replied. Neliel looked at him with confusion. "Ichigo's reiatsu seems...evil," he explained.

Neliel gasped. "So you think that Aizen could have..."

Grimmjow nodded. "We need to hurry."

Then they took off using sonido. _We might have to kill you, Kurosaki,_ Grimmjow thought to himself. _You would have wanted that anyway because you would do _anything _to protect your loved ones._

* * *

Elsewhere, Ruby and Jade were walking through the fortress's hallway when they too felt the ominous reiatsu.

"Ryuichi! Kurosaki-Taichou!" Ruby exclaimed in shock. "Something tells me that they're about to fight soon."

Jade rolled his eyes. He hated it when his sister worried about Ryuichi, whom they both thought was an insignificant person that would always get in their way, but he sighed and focused on the mission at hand. "I guess we have to go see what's up, not that I really care or anything."

Ruby raised an eyebrow at her brother. "You know you can be quite the jerk sometimes."

Jade looked at his sister. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

They disappeared from the area using shunpo.

Not too far away from their location, Aizen smiled maliciously as he watched them leave. "Soon, your power will fall into my hands, Jade. I've been waiting for this moment ever since I first heard of you."

* * *

He felt like he was floating – floating through a world of unconsciousness and confusion. A demon was in front of him, leering with piercing yellow eyes behind a horrific mask. He was about to fight this monster – he knew it.

The commanding voice of his greatest enemy echoed through his mind. _Kill him. Kill them all. They're enemies..._all_ of them._

He was compelled to obey, but somewhere in his empty soul seemed to scream out otherwise. _NO! He's my son! She's my wife! They're all my subordinates! I can't...I have to..._

_KILL THEM!_

Ichigo's eyes glowed at the command and charged towards Ryuichi, who continued to smile underneath his fully-formed mask.

"RYUICHI!" Rukia and Hinamori screamed in unison.

Ryuichi dodged his father's attack with an arm and sent a counter kick towards his chest. Ichigo blocked that and countered with another punch, forcing his son backwards.

"_You're such a mindless beast!_" Ryuichi taunted with a shrill laugh. "_If that fool Ryuichi hadn't let himself get captured, then I would have his zampakutou by now! Although, I do have to thank them for waking me up...and have to thank them for waking me up...and YOU as well for ensuring my existence!_" He used shunpo to distance himself from his father, who followed with a swift leap that would only blur his image.

Ryuichi's smile grew wider as he pointed his finger towards his father. "Eat this!" A crimson cero shot through his fingers. Ichigo immediately flicked it away as though it were nothing and countered with another cero from his horns.

Ryuichi barely had time to dodge the attack, and the impact from the explosion threw him to the ground with tremendous force.

Seeing this, Rukia panicked. She was about to get up off the floor to help her son, but Hinamori held her back. "Let me go, Hinamori!" Rukia screamed, tears filling her eyes for her son.

"No, Rukia!" Hinamori shook her head. "You have to relax! Besides, your son isn't himself just like Kurosaki-Taichou isn't himself! Being involved with any of them right now will only ensure your death! Stay here for a while longer!"

"He'll kill him, Hinamori!" Rukia argued. "He'll kill him! Ryuichi can't stave off someone as powerful as Ichigo! His hollow powers had just awakened!"

"I know," Hinamori soothed, trying to calm her friend down. "But there's nothing we can do. I would like to help Ryuichi as much as you do, but prying two super-powered hollows apart is suicide. Let things take their course for now."

When Rukia saw her son stand up, she breathed a sigh of relief and continued to watch the battle in front of her.

Ryuichi wiped his bloody chin with a smirk as he stared at his father. "I must say you nearly got me there, but that just fires me right up!" He charged once again and attacked his father with all he had.

With every attack, Ichigo dodged and moved backwards as his son continued to move forwards. After a while, his eyes narrowed and he grabbed his son's fist. Ryuichi tried to kick but Ichigo grabbed his leg with the other hand.

_Enough toying with him! Finish him!_

Ichigo's eyes glowed once again at the command. He flung his struggling son against the nearest wall, cracking it upon impact. Ryuichi groaned from where he lay, but froze when he heard his father's footsteps inching towards him. A part of his mask cracked and fell apart from his forehead, causing him to curse.

_Rip him to pieces! FINISH HIM!_

However, another voice – that same voice that echoed faintly in his conscience before – spoke up slightly louder than it did earlier. _RYUICHI! He's my son; I can't!_

_You're under my command, Kurosaki! Fighting it is futile! Finish him!_

A bolt of reiatsu formed between Ichigo's horns. Ryuichi looked up at his father's demonic face one more time. He could almost swear that he could see sadness through his eyes, as if there were a real battle going on inside his soul. "Blast it, Ryuichi! You're so weak!" The hollow cursed at him as he waited for the final blow to come to him.

_Shut up!_

His hands flew up to his mask as his reiatsu fluctuated. "_What the... What the hell are you doing?_"

_My father is fighting against Aizen in his mind. Only by seeing me will he win! If he doesn't, then at least I will die without being possessed by the likes of YOU! BE GONE!_

The hollow inside Ryuichi screamed shrilly as the young shinigami tore off his mask, shattering it into pieces in the process.

Elsewhere in the room, Ruby ran to Rukia and Hinamori while Jade walked behind. "Are you guys all right?" She asked with concern. Then she noticed Rukia's injured arm.

"It's just a scratch," Rukia assured her. "I've had worse."

"And speaking of worse things, Ryuichi is losing to Ichigo," Hinamori added.

Rukia closed her eyes tightly as she let the tears fall down her cheeks. "I'm sorry, Ryuichi. I'm so sorry."

Ruby watched the horrific scene in front of her, and her body trembled as she thought of a memory from her past – almost as horrible as the memory of her mother.

_It was supposed to be a run for errands, but 11-year-old Ruby had to run for her life. A hollow was spotted in District 73 of Western Rukongai, and Ruby ran out of luck when she encountered it. It was a terrible sight, and she tried with every ounce of strength in her legs to outrun the enormous monster._

_It took forever to run home where her brother was waiting for her, but when Jade saw the hollow, he ran with his sister, dragging her by the arm._

"_Gomen nasai, onii-chan!" Ruby screamed. "I wanted to get supplies for us, but that hollow had to arrive and chase me!"_

"_It doesn't matter!" Jade snapped between breaths. "Just shut up and run!"_

_They continued to run for a while longer until they stopped at the edge of a cliff._

"_SHIT!" Jade cursed. He turned around sharply to see the hollow catching up to them._

_Ruby grabbed onto her brother's arm for dear life – her eyes wide open with fear as her blood froze in her veins. Tears streamed down her face for she realized it was the end for both of them._

_Just when the hollow was seconds away from devouring the children, a flash zipped through it as it was cut in half. The last thing Ruby saw was a man dressed in black with a white haori and a large symbol for the number 10 embroidered on the back of it. Before she could get the chance to say "thank you", she fainted from the fear that took over her._

Ruby found out she was saved by Hitsugaya and thanked him prior to joining the academy. She had also found out she fainted out of hunger and this was what drove them to join the academy to become shinigami two years later.

She grabbed the hilt of her zampakutou as her eyes glowed deadly silver. "I'VE HAD IT WITH ALL OF YOU!" She drew her zampakutou and slashed it in front of her, shouting, "Hien Messhoujin!" A crimson wave of fiery energy blasted towards Ichigo, knocking him off guard and off balance. Ryuichi shielded his face to avoid the wave of reiatsu emanating from the blast.

"Ichigo?" Rukia whispered almost inaudibly.

Since she was standing next to her, Ruby could hear what her superior was saying. "He's still alive. I just had to knock him away from Ryuichi."

Rukia breathed a sigh of relief. Even though her husband was on the side of evil, she knew that somewhere he was fighting the darkness, like he always had. She had to hope for the best for him and hope that he would prevail.

At that moment, Jade felt something as though a needle had pierced him and then an uncomfortable feeling of dizziness following shortly after. "What the," he breathed as he tried to steady himself.

Ruby turned to her brother. "What's wrong, Jade?"

Jade shook his head to get rid of the dizziness. "I felt that something had pierced me for some reason, but that only lasted a second. The dizziness is gone though, but this feeling...I can't describe it or even explain it."

Then a familiar reiatsu weighed down on the spectators, even Ryuichi. Ichigo stood up to face the one that had brainwashed him – Aizen Sosuke.

Aizen looked around the room and hummed disappointedly. "Ichigo, you have not fulfilled a simple task that I had given you." No response; Ichigo continued to stare. Aizen raised an eyebrow in question. "Well? What are you waiting for? Finish them off already!" Still, Ichigo did not respond. Aizen growled. "FINISH THEM! WHAT PART OF THAT DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND?"

Ichigo's eyes glowed as bloodlust filled them. Aizen grinned triumphantly as he thought he may have gotten through to his "weapon", but that was when the unexpected happened. Reiatsu formed in between Ichigo's horns and unleashed in another extremely powerful cero.

Aizen's eyes widened in shock as he dodged the blast before it connected with him. "What the hell is wrong with you? You're under my command! You're supposed to be attacking _them_!"

Ichigo charged towards the dark lord, claws bared and eyes continuing to show the lust to kill. Before Aizen could do anything, Ichigo disappeared using sonido and reappeared behind, preparing to complete his revenge.

However, Aizen had other plans. With a smirk, he grabbed the hollow's arm before it could slash through him. "I hate to say this, Kurosaki, but it seems that you are too good to be used as a weapon. I miscalculated. So long."

Before anyone could blink, he slashed his sword straight through the hollow's chest, making a wound so deep that the hollow exterior shattered and blood splashed outward.

Rukia could only watch in horror as a gasp escaped her husband's lips, and it seemed that time had slowed down. All sound seemed to be muted as well as Ryuichi screamed, "NO!"

When Ichigo's body hit the floor, time resumed itself but panic filled the air as Rukia screamed her husband's name. Aizen chuckled darkly as blood dripped from his sword and insanity shone through his eyes.

* * *

As an addition to the apologies for the delay, I must apologize for what I did with Ichigo there hehe... (dodges many objects thrown at her) I wanted to make it as dramatic as possible as this story is still angsty, with its twists and turns. Don't worry though, Ichigo _is _alive and he's on the side of good again. That's all I can say at this point. You will have to find out how things are resolved in the next several chapters.

As far as the video versions go, they will take longer to update than the ones from Incomplete Sorrows so you will have to wait a little bit longer for the first one to come out. I've got to make sure that the edits are close to perfect as I can get them so I'm really taking my time with this.

With all that said, I hope you guys continue to have a wonderful Easter weekend and I will see you later with the next update! Until then, please review and let me know what you think!

Take care


	13. Escape from Hueco Mundo

**Chapter 13: Escape from Hueco Mundo**

Ryuichi stared at his father in horror. He tried to understand what happened – how his father had turned against Aizen before he was slashed across the chest. What must have triggered it? Was it Ruby's attack? Was it his father's victory over his conscience? Or was it Aizen's appearance?

Whatever the case was, Ryuichi was glad that his father was himself – for the most part. The hole was still in his chest, and the markings from the mask were still on his face. Ryuichi was not sure of how that would be reversed. From his father's stories, he had heard that a former friend had the ability to reverse any damage done, but she switched sides and was killed in battle against his mother.

Most of all, he was not too sure if his father could stay barely alive for much longer. The plus was that he could still sense that his father was alive – well, struggling to be despite the fatal wound that split his chest.

Aizen turned towards Ryuichi, alerting Rukia to struggle more under Hinamori's hold. Hinamori tried desperately to calm her superior, but she was having a hard time to do so. She also could not bear to see what Aizen was about to do next. She was grateful that Ichigo was still alive, but that was not enough. They were still in a tight spot where escape was minimal.

Ryuichi froze in his spot as he watched Aizen step slowly towards him. He wanted to stand up, but Aizen's emanating reiatsu was too much to handle. This situation reminded him of that horrible dream that he had before. Ryuichi's breath caught in his throat when Aizen stopped in front of him.

"Ryuichi Kurosaki," Aizen's voice echoed through the room, chilling the blood in everyone's veins. "You thought you could resist the darkness, did you? Well, since Szayel was killed, I have no more use for you." He turned slightly to glare at Ichigo gasping for small breaths in a pool of his own blood. "And I have no more use for your father either. Can't do a simple task of killing his own family."

Ryuichi growled at his father's nemesis despite the heavy reiatsu suffocating him.

Aizen turned back to him. "No matter. Your father will die within the hour, and you will join him."

"Ryuichi! No!" Rukia cried from across the room.

Aizen ignored her. "However, I _do_ have a back-up plan – someone else I can use." Aizen's eyes averted to Jade.

Overhearing what the evil lord had said, Jade became furious. "What the HELL did you DO to me?"

Aizen chuckled. "You won't find out its effects until later, but I had given you what you wanted – a boost of power – all in one dose of a drug I had just injected into you. It will come in time, and I'm sure you'll thank me when it does."

His eyes averted back to Ryuichi. "As for you," he raised his sword over Ryuichi's head; Rukia sobbed in Hinamori's shoulder as Ryuichi's eyes widened, "it's time for you to die."

Ryuichi's eyes squeezed shut as he waited for the blade to come crashing down onto him. He had a feeling that he would die like this – helpless and unable to do anything. He regretted not being able to tell Hinamori how he felt; he regretted not being able to live up to his dream; and most of all, he regretted not hearing that his father was proud of him. However, he knew in his heart that his father _was_ proud of him.

"HOWL, ZABIMARU!" A loud voice echoed through the room as a long string of multiple blades caught Aizen off guard.

Ryuichi opened his eyes in surprise and everyone's head snapped around to Renji and Tatsuki standing in the opening leading into the vast room. Tatsuki had Aiko lying in her arms.

"Renji!" Hinamori and Rukia shouted in unison. "Tatsuki!"

When Rukia saw Aiko, she breathed a sigh of relief to know that her daughter was okay.

"Hey Ryuichi!" Renji shouted towards the younger shinigami. "Catch!" He threw Ryuichi's confiscated katana towards him.

Ryuichi grinned as he stood up to grab his katana mid-air by the hilt. "Thanks Renji!"

"Don't mention it, kiddo!" Renji smirked.

It did not take long for Aizen to recover. "You've got to be fucking kidding me," he growled.

"Rise above the smoking crater, Karyuu!" Ryuichi shouted as he unleashed his shikai. "Eat this, you fucking bastard!" He flung his scythe at Aizen, who blocked it before it came to him.

At that same moment, Renji used flash step to arrive at Ichigo's side. He knelt down to pick up his long time friend. "You've taken quite the beating, Ichigo, but don't worry, you're safe now." He flash stepped towards Rukia and Hinamori.

"Ichigo!" Rukia exclaimed as she ran towards her husband.

"There's little time," Renji said quickly. "We have to retreat back to Soul Society so we can give him urgent medical attention." He noticed Rukia's injured shoulder. "And you as well."

"This is minor," Rukia assured as she covered her wound. "Just a scratch."

"Oh, stop it, Rukia," Renji rolled his eyes, "Minor or not, it needs to be treated."

"What about Ryuichi-kun?" Hinamori questioned as she turned towards her friend trying to hold Aizen off.

"He won't hold him off for long," Tatsuki joined in. "We have to do what we can to keep Aizen at bay."

"Carriage of light. Divide these unto 6. Bakudou 63 – Rikujokoro!" Ryuichi shouted. Six rods of light bound Aizen in place. Ryuichi flash stepped back towards his mother and allies. "That won't hold him for long," he said, "let's go."

They flash stepped out of the room, leaving Aizen behind. He cursed as he struggled against his bonds. "Damn them!"

Ryuichi, Renji, Hinamori, Jade, Ruby, Tatsuki, and Rukia dashed through the hallway.

It was not too long before they met Grimmjow and Neliel in front of them. Neliel breathed a sigh of relief when she saw them. "Thank goodness, you guys are all right."

"For the most part," Renji replied. "We have to retreat back to Soul Society."

Neliel nodded. "Understood."

"Who's left?" Rukia asked, "of Aizen's followers that is."

"We eliminated Stark and his annoying fraccion, Lilinette," Grimmjow replied.

"We defeated Gin," Ruby answered.

"I finished off Szayel," Renji added, "and he had taken a beating from Ryuichi."

"And I took care of Aaronierro," Rukia mumbled. "So I guess Yammy is left."

"And Barragan and his fraccion, Findor and Ggio," Neliel added.

"Won't be long before they come for us," Ryuichi said.

"In that case, we'll finish them off," Jade trailed off.

"Sounds good to me," Grimmjow smirked.

"For now, just keep running," Renji said, looking down at Ichigo's frail and dying form in his arms. "We're running out of time."

They continued to run down the hallway in desperation. Ryuichi wondered how much longer Aizen would remain bound in that enormous room. With Aizen's strength, he will break through his bonds within several minutes and then chase after them in a terrible fury. Ryuichi shuddered at the thought as he continued to run as fast as he could, using flash step along with the others – Neliel and Grimmjow used sonido – to increase their pace.

It would not be too long before they finally reached the exit. However, their way was blocked by Yammy, Barragan, Ggio, and Findor.

"You thought you could get away, huh?" Ggio said with a wide grin as he flexed his fingers.

"Don't even try," Findor added as he drew his sword.

Grimmjow cracked his knuckles before drawing his sword. "Bring it on."

"Grimmjow," Yammy's voice sounded from behind Ggio and Findor. "Long time no see...you fucking traitor."

"Yammy," Grimmjow half-smiled as the atmosphere grew tense around them.

At that moment, Aizen flash stepped behind the group, growling in retaliation. "You will NOT get away. Eliminate them all except for Jade Carmine!"

The arrancar sprang forth with their swords drawn. Renji and Tatsuki as they attempted to dash past the charging enemies, knowing that they had to take care of Ichigo and Aiko right away.

Despite Rukia's injured shoulder, she fought along with her subordinates, son, Neliel and Grimmjow. Ryuichi slashed his sword against Yammy, who blocked it with his large zampakutou.

"Snap, Tobiume!" Hinamori shouted, running towards Findor while her sword changed shape.

Ruby blocked every attack that was executed by Ggio, and Neliel and Grimmjow assisted Ryuichi against Yammy. Barragan sat in his skulled chair as he watched the fights before him.

Rukia touched the tip of her released zampakutou in four spots on the floor in front of her, and then pointed her blade over her shoulder at Findor. "Tsugi no Mai – Hakuren!" Ice ridges exploded outward and covered the arrancar. Immediately afterwards, Hinamori swung her five-pronged zampakutou in front of her, releasing a giant wave of fire, which engulfed the ice.

They waited for a few moments for the flames to be extinguished but Findor slashed his sword through the ice and flames to free himself. Only a small part of his mask remained at his right eye.

"Impressive, ladies," he chuckled. "But of course it was not enough. For you see, I have broken down my mask to equalize my power to that of a captain. And since you two are of lieutenant power, well," he chuckled darkly and then disappeared for a moment. Then he re-appeared behind them. "You're out of luck!" He swung his zampakutou over their heads.

Hinamori and Rukia disappeared before the blade could connect with their necks. Rukia panted as she stared at her opponent. "He's strong," she noted, "it's mind blowing how much his strength increased in an instant."

"Yeah," Hinamori agreed, readying her sword for another round. "But then again, Hisagi fought him before and he was a lieutenant then. So if he had a chance then our combined strengths should be enough."

Rukia nodded as she prepared for the next round of their fight.

* * *

Outside of Las Noches, Renji and Tatsuki continue to gain as much distance as they can from the castle, hoping that their allies could keep the enemy distracted for a while longer. Every few minutes or so, Renji continued to glance Ichigo to make sure that he was still alright.

"How is he, Renji?" Tatsuki asked.

"He's okay for now," Renji called back behind him. "He needs to fight through the pain for a little longer. I hope that we won't be too late by the time we get back to Soul Society."

"What about the other things? The hole in his chest, the markings," Tatsuki pressed on.

Renji gave her an assuring smile. "We'll figure something out. Orihime may be long dead, but I think there's another person with similar powers to her out there."

Tatsuki frowned at the sound of her former friend's name. If only she did not betray her friends for the enemy, if only she did not lose herself to jealousy and the desire for more power – then she would still be allied with them. At least Renji was there to cheer her up and console her for her loss.

When Renji was satisfied with how much distance they had made from the castle, he stopped, and Tatsuki followed suit immediately afterwards. Shifting Ichigo's position slightly, he held his sword in front him and twisted it to a horizontal position in front of him. "Unlock!"

A pair of Senkaimon doors opened, and Renji sheathed his katana. "Job well done," he said with a triumphant smirk as he and Tatsuki ran through the doors. They closed behind them and disappeared into the darkness. Deep within one of the pockets in Renji's shuhakushou, the second Hougyouku glowed slightly.

* * *

Back at the castle, Rukia smiled as she felt Tatsuki and Renji's reiatsu disappear into a nearby Senkaimon. Now she can continue fighting without any worries about her husband and daughter. The only issue is winning against an opponent who was stronger than she was. At least, Hinamori – even though she was a third-seat officer – was there to help her. After all, she was still at lieutenant strength.

Findor's stare shifted between each of them impatiently. "Let's get round 2 started then! If you're not going to start, I will!"

The fist that was not holding his sword glowed red, and as he punched the air, a ball of crimson reiatsu shot out of it towards Rukia, who dodged it immediately. Hinamori charged for the attack, unleash multiple fire balls from her zampakutou. Findor parried them with his katana and used the spike on his left hand to create an indigo cero. Rukia attempted to block the cero as it sped towards her, but it pushed her back as she gritted her teeth to fight against it.

That was when Hinamori noticed an opening behind the arrancar. She slashed her zampakutou across Findor's back and drew blood from the shallow wound.

Findor growled in disapproval. He shot more balas from both of his hands, but Hinamori dodged them all.

Rukia tried once again to use her second dance, but Findor noticed right away and dodged the attack with acrobatic skills before it hit him. "That won't affect me again!" He fired another cero towards Rukia, who used shunpo to dodge it.

A purple rod formed in her hand and she aimed it at the arrancar. "Bakudou 62 – Hyapporankan!" She threw the rod javelin-like towards her opponent, who narrowed his eyes as he used sonido to dodge it.

Hinamori cupped her hands on top of each other as she recited this incantation: Ye lord! Mask of blood and flesh, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! On the wall of blue flame, inscribe a twin lotus. In the abyss of conflagration, wait at the far heavens! Hadou 73 – Soren Sokatsui!" Two cyan fire balls exploded out of her hands.

Findor tried to hold up his sword to block it, but was flung back into a nearby wall where his back hit it with tremendous force. As he landed, dust flew outward for a moment before settling.

He growled and wiped a trickle of blood from his chin as he slowly got up from the ground. "Exacta! You ladies are quite the destructive duo," he complimented, "but now I think it's time to end this. Engrave the surface of the water, Pinza Aguda!" Spiritual energy started to erupt from him in a large of wave of purple flames. Once the flames were extinguished, his sword transformed to that of a giant claw – reminiscent to that of a fiddler crab. The right side of him covered in a kind of chitinous armour and another, smaller claw was formed at his left hand. On the tip of the larger claw, there was a string-like, rope connection that joined the claw with his right shoulder.

Rukia and Hinamori gritted their teeth when they felt how immense their opponent's reiatsu had become, but they knew that in order to defeat this guy they had to push on through...somehow.

Rukia had one idea in mind, however. If only she could break her sword somehow, then she would use _that_ technique. She turned towards Hinamori and whispered, "I've got an idea."

Hinamori leaned in closer to hear what her superior had in mind. "Let's hear it," she whispered back.

"I will charge after him first," Rukia explained. "Then I want you to bind him with kidou, providing me the chance to finish him off."

"What if that doesn't hold him?" Hinamori asked. "You know how powerful his reiatsu is right now. Also, you know that nearly half my reiatsu had been depleted when I fought against Kurosaki-Taichou earlier."

Rukia nodded as she described her plan further. "I know, but you've got to do the best you can because I know the perfect way to end this. Trust me."

Hinamori let her lieutenant's words sink in a little more. She had a feeling about what Rukia had meant, and she really hoped that their combined efforts would be enough.

Rukia turned back towards Findor. "Let's end this," she said with a deep breath.

Findor grinned as he got into a fighting stance. "Exacta, let's continue, but just so you know...I'll never lose to another lieutenant!"

Rukia smirked. "We'll see about that. After all, that was _only_ one person."

Findor opened his right claw wide and ball formed within the pitch black opening. This ball shot forth in the form of a pressurized, water jet, travelling in hyper speed.

Rukia dodged it using shunpo, and Findor shot another water jet. Rukia dodged it once again and the water jet crashed straight through the wall of the palace, leaving a large gaping opening that would be large enough for anyone to escape through.

As Findor shot more water jets towards her, Rukia narrowed her eyes. _It's going to be very risky trying to follow through with my plan, _She thought to herself, _but I must do this if I want to defeat him and partially ensure our escape._ She raised an eyebrow when her opponent made an outgoing water jet stop before he used sonido to make another water jet, making that stop before creating another. _What the fucking hell is he doing?_ She continued her thoughts.

Findor laughed out loud after he finished creating all the water jets he needed to. "You saw what these water jets can do, and I applaud you for trying to evade them. However," he laughed again, "Can you evade _this_?" The space between the water jets and Rukia shrunk.

Hinamori's worries started to increase. She wanted so much to help her superior, but she knew that if she did that, then she would be breaching the plan that they had made to defeat this guy. She hoped in her heart that Rukia knew what she was doing.

Rukia growled as the water jets zoomed closer towards her. She _had _to play this right, one way or another. She swept her zampakutou around her waist in a circle. "Some no Mai – Tsugi Shiro!" An icy column shot up from the baseline she had created to temporarily reduce any damage caused by the gigantic crusher ball of pressurized water, but that only lasted for a second. The column shattered as soon as it was hit by the crusher ball, shattering Sode no Shiroyuki in the process. Realizing this, Rukia used sonido to escape the violent attack before it could do any more damage to her.

Knowing that this was her cue, Hinamori stuck out her hand with the palm facing forward and her fingers spread, shouting, "Bakudou 63 – Sajo Sabaku!" She then clenched her hand into a fist.

A long, winding chain of reiatsu formed around Findor and tightened around him, holding him on the spot. "What the _fuck_?" He cursed as he tried to struggle.

Hinamori looked up to Rukia. "You haven't got much time, Rukia! Do it now!"

Rukia nodded. She used shunpo to appear in close proximity in front of Findor and placed the broken edge of her zampakutou against his forehead. "San no Mae – Shirafune," she said in a dark voice.

"No es exacta!" Findor screamed, "That won't affect _me_..."

But before he could say anymore, Rukia's zampakutou reformed once again and blood streamed down the fatal wound in the arrancar's forehead. "I-impos...sible," Findor said with wide eyes.

Rukia smirked. "Good bye," she said as she sliced her zampakutou through the arrancar's body, severing it in half.

As the arrancar disintegrated into nothingness, Rukia's shoulder started to throb, and she shuddered as she brought her hand up to it. Hinamori ran towards her friend's side when she saw her in pain. "Rukia-san," she said in concern. Then she gazed out through the broken wall of the castle. "I think it's time to go since Ichigo and Aiko are safe and you need medical treatment yourself."

"What about everyone else?" Rukia protested through her pain. "Ryuichi, Ruby, Jade, Neliel...Grimmjow – what about them?"

Hinamori smiled as she watched their allies fight their respective opponents. "Don't worry. Knowing them, they'll get out in time."

Barragan raised an eyebrow as he watched one of his fraccion be defeated. "Impossible," he grunted. "How could two women defeat an arrancar like Findor, especially at his highest capacity?"

"They're kidou experts," Aizen trailed off, "and have always been trouble."

"Then they should be no match for me," Barragan said gruffly.

Aizen curled the corners of his lips into a devious smile. "Then finish them."

Barragan nodded as he used sonido to block Hinamori and Rukia's way before they could escape. "I may be an old man, but Findor's strength is no match for my own."

Meanwhile, Ryuichi threw his scythe towards Yammy, who used his bala to deflect the fiery blade. Before Yammy could counter, Neliel and Grimmjow attacked head-on – one towards the front and the other towards the back. Yammy was about to grab a hold of them with his large hands, but they knew that was coming for they de-materialized using sonido and fired cero towards the giant espada's head.

It took a while for the smoke to clear, but when it did, Yammy's head was not even blemished. However, this proved to be a distraction, for Ryuichi had attacked Yammy's stomach with a slash of his zampakutou.

Yammy roared in pain as blood splashed out of the wound. He tried to punch Ryuichi with a giant fist, but the young shinigami dodged it immediately.

It was then that Ryuichi had sensed that his mother was in trouble. Neliel had sensed it as well. "Go help out your mother and friend, Ryuichi-kun! Grimmjow and I will distract Yammy for as long as we can!" She called out to him.

Ryuichi nodded as he used shunpo to arrive in Hinamori and Rukia's position. He flung his scythe towards Barragan's direction, shouting, "Out of the way, old man!"

However, the attack did not phase the elder espada on bit. He caught the scythe, which only smoked slightly in his fist, and flung back to Ryuichi, who yanked the chain immediately.

Elsewhere, Ruby sensed that Ryuichi was having trouble. While Jade kept Ggio busy, she slashed her zampakutou sideways, shouting, "Hien Messhoujin!" This unleashed the giant wave of crimson energy towards a nearby spot on the wall, crashing it down to rubble.

Hinamori noticed this right away and pulled Rukia through the opening, shouting a thank you to her subordinate. Ryuichi nodded gratefully as he followed them through the opening, ready to protect them at all costs.

"DON'T YOU JUST STAND THERE, YOU FOOLS! AFTER THEM!" Aizen shouted.

Just when Yammy was about to chase after them, Neliel sent an axe kick flying against the back of his head. Grimmjow followed suit with a Gran Rey cero towards Yammy's injured stomach, causing the wound to open more with the impact. Yammy groaned and coughed up blood. This was their cue to follow those that had escaped before.

Before they could leave, however, Barragan sent a deep purple cero hurtling towards them, hoping that would eliminate them.

But Neliel had anticipated it coming. She opened her mouth to suck in the powerful cero. Once the cero disappeared into her mouth, she blasted the cero back towards the second espada. Barragan's eyes widened with surprise when he saw the cero coming towards him and he was barely able to avoid it with sonido.

Neliel and Grimmjow dashed towards the exit to join Ryuichi, Hinamori, and Rukia.

Ggio laughed cockily. "You're not joining them _this_ time! Bite off, Tigre Estoque!" Red stripes appeared on his face, marking his cheeks and forehead. His hollow mask became slightly elongated at the back, with his sabre teeth becoming more pronounced at the front. His white jacket grew longer and black, embroidered stripes marked the sides. His feet and legs became more cat-like, covered in fur. Yellow fur also covered his knees and elbows. Long, squared-off blades replaced his katana and appeared in each of his hands. His braid grew longer towards his knees, and another squared-off blade hung on the tip.

"Oh yea?" Jade yelled back. "Try some of this!" He played some riffs from his guitar-like weapon, sending waves of energy towards Ggio, who used his cat-like agility to try to avoid the energy waves as much as possible. As Ggio came around the corner to attack him, Jade played more riffs of his guitar to hold him back.

Ggio growled with frustration as he tried to block the energy waves that were tearing through his hierro. He had no idea that someone with less experience in fighting than he did would hold him back just as easily as this. He gritted his teeth as he stretched out his palms, forming a magenta bolt of reiatsu. This reiatsu blasted forth into a cero, which tore through the energy waves.

Jade dodged the attack with shunpo, and Ggio panted. "You're good, kid," he complimented in between breaths, "but let's see what you can do against _this_!"

He tilted his head black slightly and his sabre teeth shot out from his mask.

This was Ruby's cue to fight. She dashed towards the teeth and parried them away with excellent precision.

Ggio raised an eyebrow. He raised his right blade into the air, increasing his reiatsu as the blade glowed. "Time to end this, you little punks!" He shouted. "Tigre Estoque el Sable!" His size increased into that of a much larger, muscular, feral beast. A small, yellow mane appeared around his neck as brown and black fur grew all over his body. Enormous blades replaced his forearms and hands, and his braid grew longer. The red stripes on his face become more prominent and a widow's peak ran towards the bridge of his nose.

Veins pop out throughout his body as he glared at Ruby. "Let's start with _you_, bitch!" He ran towards Ruby, who had become paralyzed from his increasing reiatsu. He lifted a giant blade and stabbed it through her stomach, earning a shrill, blood-curdling scream.

"RUBY!" Jade cried. His hands shook as he played another riff from his guitar-like weapon, harder and heavier than before. The walls around him cracked and split as enormous amounts of sound waves burst forward. Jade's eyes glowed white as his power increased and he continued playing as the walls crashed down around him. Using shunpo, he grabbed his sister and continued playing his guitar, screaming louder as his reiatsu increased even more. The increasing pressure from his reiatsu was far too much for the crumbling building to take, and – before Aizen, Barragan, Yammy, or Ggio could do anything about it - it exploded with a tremendous force, spreading across a large surface area of the frigid desert.

Jade calmed his reiatsu down as he reverted his shikai back to normal. Then he picked his sister up and dashed across the desert, using shunpo to gain more time, until he met with the others.

* * *

_**Next Time on Inherited Nightmares...**_

_Rukia sat by her husband's bed, staring at his comatose form lying still and surrounded by machines. The beeping from those machines were the only sounds in the room, and Rukia held Ichigo's hand tighter. She was relieved that he was alive and will be okay, but she was worried about how he would feel after this. She knew that his time in captivity had changed him, not only physically but emotionally as well, and she wished she could do something to help him. She was so worried...not only for her husband but for her son as well, who still had to deal with the hollow within him._

* * *

And there it is! Another chapter finished! You will find out Aizen, Barragan, Yammy, and Ggio's fates in the epilogue ending, which will lead towards the sequel. The sequel is going to be called _Condemned Time_, and will feature a grown up Aiko as she tries to go up against a powerful group of new enemies, who will appear in the epilogue ending. This story will be drawing to a close in two more chapters as well, and there will _not _be a video version of the sequel. There are too many original characters and if this one is hard enough, then the next one is going to be even harder. So when the video versions of Inherited Nightmares are finished, that will be the end of the Bleach Chat series for good. Sorry for any inconvenience, and I hope you understand. At least the Anime Cross-Over Chat series will still be in play.

Anyway, that's all I want to say for now, so hope you enjoyed this story and please review!

Take care!


	14. Dealing With Within

**Chapter 14: Dealing With Within**

It had been a month since the events in Hueco Mundo and those that had partaken in those events had been recovering.

Grimmjow had reluctantly decided to stay in Soul Society, regardless of his goal to retain his "birth right" as he had claimed, due to Neliel's convincing. "There's no Las Noches to rule over," she persuaded. "I'm sorry, Grimmjow, but that's the way it has to be."

Within a day of arriving at the medical ward of the 4th Division Barracks, Ruby's severe wounds miraculously healed and she was discharged the next day. While no one else could explain the fast healing, Unohana had a theory that it must have had something to do with the reiatsu emanating from Ruby's zampakutou – hence its name meaning Phoenix.

Ruby was grateful to have learned of this ability, but was worried about her brother, who had barely come in to visit her. He had been distant ever since he carried her into the medical ward, and he left immediately when the medics were having Ruby settled in.

However, Ryuichi had been visiting her, to check on how she was doing. He did not know why he would, but something told him to forgive her for what she did before they left for Hueco Mundo. It was then that he cared a great deal about her, almost as much as he cared about Hinamori.

On the day of Ruby's discharge, he arrived at the 4th Division Barracks to see her standing in front of the building – the sun revealing her scarlet highlights in her hair. Her hazel eyes sparkled with pride as she waited. There was a frown on her face, which had Ryuichi concerned. Other than that, she was gorgeous in his eyes.

"Hey Ruby!" He called, alerting his former rival from her reverie.

"Ryuichi?" Ruby replied, pulling a strand of her hair behind her right ear.

Ryuichi approached her. "What's up?"

Ruby was silent as she averted her eyes to a random spot on the ground.

Ryuichi scowled as he leaned slightly closer to her. "It's Jade, isn't it?"

Ruby nodded. She looked into Ryuichi's eyes as she replied, "Yeah. Ever since we returned here, had been acting...strange lately. I don't know why that would be the case. At first, I thought that the reason why he would not come visit me was because he was guilty of my wounds. And when I was discharged today, I thought maybe he would be here to walk home with me like he always did. When I walked out, however, he wasn't anywhere to be found. I'm worried, Ryuichi. Could this have something to do with the drug that Aizen had administered to him?"

Ryuichi sighed. He always thought Jade was an asshole who did not care about anyone but himself, but now he thought Jade was even bigger asshole than ever. What the hell was his problem?

"I don't know, Ruby," he said. "It could probably be the case." Then he smiled. "But try not to worry. He'll come around one of these days."

Ruby smiled in return, making Ryuichi feel a positive, yet nervous feeling in his stomach. "Thank you, Ryuichi," she said.

"Yeah, no problem." Ryuichi blushed slightly. "Want me to walk you home?"

"I'd love that, thank you," Ruby replied.

Silence ensued for a moment between them as they walked side-by-side. That was until Ryuichi broke it by inquiring, "So what brought on the change? Out of curiosity, I mean."

Ruby smiled sadly. "Before I answer, I must tell you the reason why I became a shinigami in the first place. Ever since my mother was killed in front of me," she cringed at the memory, "I wanted justice. When Hitsugaya-Taichou saved my life from that hollow, I knew that I had found the answer to the one question in my mind: how will I acquire this justice that I seek? I realized that I wanted to protect others the way Hitsugaya-Taichou protected me. So I decided to become a shinigami."

"So what brought on the change?" Ryuichi asked again. "Why did you suddenly go from hating me to liking me?"

Ruby sighed. "I was thinking about what I did, and I realized that I acted stupid and immature. So I wanted to make it up to you by focusing on the initial reason why I became a shinigami in the first place."

Ryuichi absorbed this information while Ruby told it to him. He realized that she had a very good reason to change who she was. At least this was who she really was and what she wanted to be, and Ryuichi found himself growing more and more fond of her.

When they turned around a corner, they were confronted by Jade. He glared at them both, shifting his eyes from one to the other and back again. When his eyes landed on Ryuichi once more, they narrowed maliciously.

Ruby knew she had to do something. She quickly stepped in front of Ryuichi, blocking her brother's view of him. "Jade, this is not what you think. He offered to walk me home."

"Oh?" Jade raised an eyebrow nonchalantly. "I need to have a word with you, Ruby." He stared past her at Ryuichi.

"You can just talk to me here," Ruby defied, glaring coldly at her brother.

"In that case," Jade said, "_you_ must leave, Ryuichi."

Ruby was about to say something else in defiance, but Ryuichi stopped her by placing a hand on her shoulder. "I think you should work things out with him," he trailed off. Ruby was about to protest, but Ryuichi shook his head. "You need to work things out with your brother, but if things turn out ugly, I'll step in. How does that sound?"

Ruby nodded her head and faced her brother once again. Ryuichi walked out of earshot and out of sight to allow the Carmine twins to talk.

Jade glared at his sister for a moment, and Ruby glared back, waiting to hear what he needed to say. She also had some choice words to tell him as well, but she wanted to hear him out before she can say them.

The silence did not last much longer when Jade spoke. "I'm disappointed in you, Ruby." Ruby raised an eyebrow. Okay, this was not what she was expecting to hear. Jade continued to speak. "You? Walking around with some insignificant loser that holds you back? Whatever happened to your common sense? I'm very disappointed in you."

Ruby growled arguably. "Where the fuck is _your _common sense, Jade? I haven't seen you since you brought me to the medical ward, and then you come _here_ and give me _bullshit_ about Ryuichi! What the fucking hell is your _problem_?"

"Don't you fucking change the subject," Jade warned. "It makes me sick to see how soft you've become. Ryuichi is nothing but a weak coward that holds us back from our destinies. You and I both knew that and did what we could to gain more power. _Now _you have become soft and weak like _him_! Something needs to be done about this, don't you think?"

"LISTEN TO YOURSELF!" Ruby shouted defensively. "_You_ should know that our reasons to become shinigami are DIFFERENT! I believe in protecting others and I thought you had believed in the same! At first, I didn't understand why you had changed, but NOW I know that it was that DRUG that Aizen had injected into you that's causing YOU to ACT like this!"

Jade stepped forward and, using the back of his hand, struck his sister across the face. Stunned by the force of the slap, Ruby gasped as she ghosted her fingers over the tender, sore area of her cheek.

"You're a fucking naive bitch," Jade spat. "Clearly, you _don't_ understand what _true_ power is. Let me help you understand." He drew his zampakutou. "Resonate, Denkimaru!" The sword transformed into the trademark guitar.

Ruby lowered her hand from her cheek to the hilt of her zampakutou. "I never thought we would resort to this again, but you leave me no choice." She drew her zampakutou. "Spread your blazing wings, Hiryuu!" The blade transformed into its curved, double-edged blade surrounded by crimson energy.

Without another word, Jade started strumming through his guitar, increasing the volume and speed, thus increasing the power level of the sound waves. Ruby tried to dodge the sound waves, but they were moving too fast for her to avoid them. When she compared the intensity and destructive power of these sound waves to those of the last time she and her brother fought, the comparison was overwhelming; her brother was ten times as powerful as he was before. This was going to be a problem.

"What are you waiting for, Ruby?" Jade shouted in an almost taunting voice. "You can't dodge forever, you know. Try to attack me, even though your attempts are futile!" He changed his chords, manipulating the sound waves into a single, enormous energy wave, which shot towards Ruby in hyper speed.

Ruby gasped. "Hien Messhoujin!" She screamed, sending a crimson energy wave towards her brother's, colliding with it in the centre. Ruby gritted her teeth as she tried to overpower her brother, but her energy wave could not go any further.

Jade smirked. "I see you're having trouble, dear sister. Let me help make things easier." While continuing to play the same chords, he added a couple more, springing his silver scythe to life. The scythe curved around the energy waves and tore through Ruby's shoulder. The blow threw her to the side, and she screamed from the surprise attack and the pain in her shoulder. The crimson energy wave she was firing disappeared, and Jade made his energy wave disappear by ceasing his guitar-playing.

He chuckled as he stepped towards Ruby, who was clutching her shoulder while trying to stand up. "You're a fool, Ruby," Jade said menacingly. "You cannot defeat me, no matter what you do. Your beliefs made you weak. Your strength can't even compare to those who just want to fight for themselves, fight to kill. I think I am going to kill you right here, right now. Farewell, dear sister." He picked up his scythe and raised it over her head. Ruby closed her eyes shut as she waited for the blade to slice through her.

Suddenly, Ryuichi's zampakutou stopped the scythe before it could connect with Ruby. Jade's eyes widened as he saw the deathly stare in Ryuichi's eyes – the eerie yellow-on-black and the forming hollow mask on his face. Ryuichi grinned maliciously as he slashed his zampakutou, disarming Jade of his scythe.

"_It's good to be back!_" Ryuichi's hollow voice sounded. "_Tell ya what? I'm feelin' a little generous today, so how about I let you have the first shot!_"

Ruby gasped. Jade narrowed his eyes. "You mocking me, loser?"

"_Absolutely not!"_ Ryuichi replied. "_Strike me anywhere you want!_"

Jade twitched. He had a feeling that his opponent was either mocking him or being stupid. Either way, he knew he had to try. With one powerful swing, he severed Ryuichi's arm clean off his shoulders.

Ruby screamed as blood splashed outward.

Ryuichi cackled as another arm grew back. "_I've always wanted to try that._"

Jade jumped back, shocked by what happened. Instant regeneration? Impossible!

Ryuichi ran towards Jade, preparing his zampakutou to attack and laughing shrilly.

Clutching her injured shoulder, Ruby watched the fight with a worried daze. She could not believe that her own brother, of all people, would try to kill her. She hoped that Ryuichi would knock sense into Jade, especially if he was in his hollow form. But there was a worry surrounding that as well. She knew that Ryuichi could not control his hollow powers yet. What if he kills Jade? Even though Jade was an asshole who acted without any kind of judgement, he was all she had left in the way of family. And how did Ryuichi's hollow powers take over anyway? She knew that he would never allow anything like that to happen. She continued to watch the fight, praying that Jade and Ryuichi would come out of this alive.

Ryuichi continued to laugh as he threw his fiery scythe. Jade played chords on his guitar to deflect the fiery scythe, but Ryuichi yanked the chain to change its course. Jade averted his eyes to the new location and manipulated his scythe to parry the opposing scythe away. However, Ryuichi tugged on the chain once more, entangling the scythes together. Then, with one forceful pull, he slammed both scythes into the ground, burying them both underneath broken rocks and dirt.

Jade growled as he tried to move his scythe, but it would not budge; it remained trapped underground. Using this as an opportunity to attack, Ryuichi used shunpo to appear above Jade's head and dove towards his opponent with his zampakutou raised.

Jade looked up and tried using sound waves to stop Ryuichi in his tracks, but Ryuichi dodged the sound waves and countered with a downward slash of his sword, bringing up dust from the attack.

It was not long before the dust settled, and Ryuichi stood, maliciously grinning through his hollow mask. Jade lay on the ground at his feet, in a pool of blood forming from a terrible gash spread across his chest. A dazed look showed in his eyes as he lay there, pieces of his guitar lying on either side of him and on his stomach.

Ryuichi looked up towards Ruby, who stared, terrified, back at him. There was a bloodthirsty look in his eyes, and Ruby shivered and froze in fear. He was coming after her next, and there was nothing she could do about it.

Before he could do anything, however, he froze in place. He gritted his teeth as he tried to move. "_DAMMIT! NOT AGAIN!" _He cursed.

_Leave her alone! _His conscience bellowed from within him.

"_I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU, RYUICHI!_" The hollow screamed as he fought against his shinigami counterpart.

_Not like you can do anything like that_, his conscience counteracted. _Be gone!_

The hollow threw back his head and screeched loudly as his hand tugged at the mask, prying it apart with all his strength. Eventually, the mask shattered in his hands and the torturous screaming ceased. Ryuichi's eyes turned back to normal as he panted and sheathed his now-unreleased zampakutou.

Ruby finally found the strength to stand up. She stumbled towards Ryuichi and her brother.

However, Ryuichi stepped back, making Ruby stop in her tracks. "Ryuichi, what's wrong?" She asked.

Ryuichi turned away from her in shame. "I'm sorry, Ruby," he trailed off.

Ruby cocked her head to the side in confusion. "But...you saved my life," she whispered.

"And then I was about to kill you too," Ryuichi said quickly. "I didn't think _he_ would take over when all I wanted was to defend you – protect you. Now I need to protect you from myself."

Tears started to form in Ruby's eyes. "Please don't leave me, Ryuichi. We can try to solve this...together."

Ryuichi turned towards Ruby. "I'm sorry, but I have to do this myself." Then he disappeared from view using shunpo.

Ruby wiped her tears away with one hand. Then she knelt beside her brother. "J-Jade?" She whispered, praying that he was alive.

A quiet cough sounded from his chest as his eyes re-focused. "Hey Ruby," he grunted. "I'm sorry...for what I did."

Ruby smiled sadly. She was glad her brother was himself again. "I'm just glad you're okay. You weren't yourself, so don't worry about it. However, there is one thing you can do to make up for things...once you get better of course."

Jade attempted to raise an eyebrow despite the amount of blood he had lost. "And what's that?"

Ruby smirked. "Make me a sandwich." She giggled at the joke.

Jade chuckled. "We'll see about that, sis."

* * *

Rukia sat by her husband's bed, staring at his comatose form lying still and surrounded by machines. The beeping from those machines were the only sounds in the room, and Rukia held Ichigo's hand tighter. She was relieved that he was alive and will be okay, but she was worried about how he would feel after this. She knew that his time in captivity had changed him, not only physically but emotionally as well, and she wished she could do something to help him. She was so worried...not only for her husband but for her son as well, who still had to deal with the hollow within him.

She was relieved that her daughter, who was resting in the room next door, was okay. However, when she found out that the girl was taken from her brother's mansion, she was furious. She could not believe that Aizen would sink so low as to experiment on her family, especially a little girl. At least Jade had managed to destroy Las Noches with the enemy still inside. Rukia wondered if it would be enough to keep Aizen and his remaining followers out of commission for a while.

The Hougyouku, or its replica anyway, was taken to the 12th Division barracks where it would be in Urahara's hands. Since it was just a replica and nothing like the original, Urahara managed to destroy it easily.

The 12th division captain had also asked about Ryuichi – about how he had been faring against his inner hollow. Renji, who had delivered the Hougyouku replica, answered that Ryuichi had been just as worried as Ichigo was when he was his age.

Rukia sighed. She wished that her son did not have to worry so much. It was bad enough for her husband. However, she could probably understand where they were coming from. She sighed once again as she squeezed her husband's limp hand lightly.

* * *

Ryuichi entered the medical ward. He did not know where to go to deal with his inner hollow, but maybe his parents could help.

He noticed Grimmjow and Neliel standing in the hallway, engaged in quiet conversation. Or maybe they could help? He approached them with the question in mind.

Neliel smiled when she saw Ryuichi coming towards them. "Hi Ryuichi-kun," she greeted cheerfully. Grimmjow continued to scowl.

"Hey," Ryuichi said. "I've got a favour to ask of you."

"What is it?" Neliel asked.

Ryuichi took a moment to think of what to ask. "Do you...know how to keep an inner hollow spirit in check?"

Neliel frowned. She was aware that Ryuichi was concerned about his inner hollow.

Grimmjow snickered. "Why would you want to do that? You'll be much stronger if your hollow takes over."

Neliel rolled her eyes at her boyfriend's comment. "Grimmjow, stop." She turned back to Ryuichi. "I'm sorry, but I don't think we are capable of doing such a thing. After all, we were hollows first. Maybe your mother would know?"

"I guess you're right," Ryuichi trailed off.

"Go to wherever Ichigo went," Grimmjow advised.

"Where?" Ryuichi asked.

Grimmjow shrugged. "Like what Neliel suggested, your parents may know."

"I guess you're right there as well," Ryuichi said. "I was just heading up there anyway. Thanks." He continued to walk down the hallway towards the room where his dad was in a coma.

Neliel smiled after him. "Good luck, Ryuichi-kun."

Ryuichi entered the room where his parents were – Rukia was still holding onto Ichigo's hand while he continued to lie comatose in front of her.

Ryuichi stared at his father for a moment – an oxygen mask covered half of his face while orange strands partially covered his eyes. Bandages covered his chest, masking the near-fatal wound inflicted by Aizen. Despite the heavy bandaging, the hole was still unable to be concealed.

Rukia broke the silence. "He'll wake up soon, I hope," she trailed off.

"He'll need to be cheered up when he does," Ryuichi responded.

Rukia nodded in understanding. "I'm going to do that, son," she assured without taking her eyes off of Ichigo.

"How's your shoulder?" Ryuichi wanted to know.

"It doesn't hurt," Rukia answered. "Not as much as the painful state your father is in. I feel like a part of me has been removed, just like the hole in his chest." She tried to hold back her tears. Even though she was a Kurosaki now, she still had her pride as a Kuchiki. She turned to face her son with a sad smile. "But I know you didn't come here to ask about my shoulder."

Ryuichi looked away. "No. I want to ask...where Dad went to deal with his inner hollow."

Rukia remembered what Ichigo had told her when their son was a baby. "Go just outside of Karakura Town, towards the east. There should be a warehouse with a barrier surrounding it. That's where you would find some people who would teach you what they know. And can you do me a favour while you're there?"

"What's that?"

"There should be someone there with similar powers to Inoue Orihime. His name is Hachigen – Hachi for short. Can you please send him up here?"

Ryuichi raised an eyebrow in confusion. "I thought the viazards were banned from Soul Society."

"I begged Yamamoto-sou-Taichou to allow them to return, since Ichigo really needs to look himself again. Also, it would be fair to owe them at least something for their contributions in the past. It turns out he had already allowed them to return a long time ago. So can you please let Hachi-san and the other Viazards know about this?"

Ryuichi nodded. "Sure. Thanks, Mom."

Rukia stood up and gave her son a hug. "Please do your best...and be careful. Your father had a very hard time trying to defeat his hollow spirit. He could have been destroyed a long time ago if he hadn't gained his resolve. I don't want the same to happen to you, and I'm sure your father wouldn't want the same thing either."

Ryuichi smiled as he returned the hug. "Don't worry, Mom. I'll do whatever I can. My resolve is just as strong as Dad's. So I'll win for sure." He parted from her to look into her eyes. "I promise you, I _will_ win. And then these worries will end."

"I'll hold you to that, son," Rukia replied. "Good luck."

Ryuichi smirked and turned towards the door. With one more nod towards his mother, he stepped outside and walked down the hallway towards the exit.

Rukia continued to smile as she watched her son leave. She was glad he inherited his father's strength and resolve. If only Ichigo could gain his back, however. "Please come back alive, Ryuichi," she whispered.

She turned to sit by her husband once again, placing her hand on his. Her smile faded as she leaned in closer to Ichigo's ear. "Please wake up, honey," she whispered as the tears she had been fighting against started to stream down her face. "You have no idea how much I miss you right now." She brushed some of Ichigo's hair off his face, revealing his closed eyes. Then she kissed his forehead as she allowed her tears to drip on his face.

* * *

Hinamori's eyes softened as she watched Ryuichi exit the 4th Division Barracks. She had also been worried about him since they escaped Hueco Mundo, and she wished she could do something to help him.

She felt another feeling for the boy. They grew so close over the years, and when Ryuichi protected her back in Hueco Mundo, a special feeling rose inside. However, she could not believe she had such feelings as strong as she had for Kira. For one thing, he was her captain's son. Another reason was that she was so much older than he was. Then again, Rukia is a lot older than Ichigo and they are married.

Hinamori sighed as she hugged her legs against her body. "I...think I love you...Ryuichi-kun. If you only knew..."

* * *

It did not take long for Ryuichi to convince the guards to let him enter the World of the Living, and he found himself wondering the streets of a recovering Karakura. He sensed his aunts and was relieved they were all right; he could even sense Hitsugaya's reiatsu with his aunt Karin.

Remembering his mother's directions, he took off running towards the east, knowing he was invisible to the passing humans surrounding him. He added shunpo to make things faster, heart racing from the adrenaline.

He arrived in an industrial area, full of construction and warehouses. There was one particular warehouse that had an orange barrier surrounding it, and Ryuichi smirked when his eyes lay upon it. He walked towards the warehouse, wondering how he would be able to enter it.

At that moment, part of the barrier opened to reveal the entrance. Ryuichi raised an eyebrow in question but continued to walk towards the warehouse.

Ryuichi stopped in front of the entrance and sighed as he pushed the button beside the door, opening it. As soon as the doorway opened to the halfway point, he stepped inside, eyes narrowing with determination. The door automatically closed behind him.

"Ah Ryuichi, welcome," A voice sounded, "We've been expecting you."

Ryuichi's head looked up in alarm to see the very same people his mother and father had talked about. So these were the Viazards. But how did they know he was coming – let alone his name?

"How did..." Ryuichi was about to say, but he was cut off.

"Urahara-san told us everything," Shinji, who had greeted him, said. Then he frowned. "It's too bad about your father though."

Then Ryuichi was reminded of the other reason why he came. "Which one of you is Hachigen?" He questioned, looking around at the group.

"That would be me," a chubby man with a pink moustache spoke up.

Ryuichi looked at him. "Since you know about the condition my dad's in, please," he got down on his knees, head lowered, "Please reverse what had happened! It's killing me, Mom, and Aiko...and it's affecting him most of all! He's not what he used to be! Please... In fact, your ban from Soul Society had been lifted a while ago."

Shinji gave Ryuichi an assuring smile. "Don't worry, we've known about Yamamoto's decision for a while." He turned towards Hachi. "You can depart for Soul Society when we start to deal with Ichigo's kid."

Hachi nodded. "Okay."

Ryuichi smiled gratefully as he stood up. "Thank you so much!"

Hachi nodded once again. "Anytime. Your father is one of us after all."

Ryuichi turned back to Shinji. "So, you will train me?"

Shinji widened his grin. "Of course. Since you're Ichigo's son, we'll skip the initiation sparring and even Hiyori's special Nordic Track."

Hiyori scowled at Shinji. "You dickhead. It's my _super_ Nordic Track. Don't look down on my methods! And who says that we have to give _him_," she pointed her thumb at Ryuichi, "the special treatment anyway?"

"You can help him with the after-trainin'," Shinji replied, "prolongin' his mask as you could say."

"Well, as long as it lasts for more than 10 seconds, we've got a deal," Hiyori said.

Shinji turned towards Keigo, who was at Lisa's side as always. "What do you say about watchin' how we deal with inner hollows 'round here?"

"Sounds awesome," Keigo answered. "As long as I don't get in on the action."

Lisa scoffed at her husband's request. "Don't worry; you're not ready for that yet."

Shinji turned back to Ryuichi and dematerialized towards him, hand outstretched towards him. "Don't take this personally; I have to put you to sleep first."

Ryuichi nodded in understanding. "Do what you must."

With a flash of light, Ryuichi collapsed but Shinji caught him before he could hit the ground. He turned back to his fellow Viazards. "Okay guys, let's go downstairs." He positioned Ryuichi over his shoulders and walked towards the stairway. The rest of the Viazards, including, Keigo, followed him.

They arrived in the vast wilderness-like training area, and Shinji laid Ryuichi several kilometres from the entrance. Then he turned towards Hachi. "Okay, before you go, set up a large barrier around Ryuichi and then create an opening in front, adjacent to Ryuichi's head. We'll keep him at bay for a while until he succeeds dominating against his hollow."

Hachi nodded. "Yes." He placed both hands on the ground in front of him. An orange wall rose from the ground, followed by three other walls, enclosing Ryuichi inside. Then Hachi moved his hands upward and spread them apart slightly, creating a small opening in the barrier.

"Thanks, Hachi," Shinji said. "You may go now."

Hachi nodded and departed the training area.

"So you guys are going to kill him?" Keigo asked with a worried look on his face.

"No," Shinji said. "We're just going to keep him occupied. However, if the inner battle is towards the hollow's favour, then we have no choice _but_ to kill him."

Keigo gulped at the answer.

Shinji smiled. "But the chances of that are fairly small. After all, Ryuichi has inherited his father's resolve and determination. You can't win against that."

Keigo pondered for a moment. "Yeah, I guess you're right. So when does this thing start?"

Shinji turned towards Ryuichi. "When the inner battle starts," he trailed off.

* * *

Ryuichi found himself in the volcanic area where Karyuu resided. So this was where the battle would take place. Ryuichi looked around, searching for signs of his inner hollow or for Karyuu. His hand was on the hilt of his zampakutou as he waited patiently – mind calm and focused.

A presence caught his attention. Hoping to see Karyuu, Ryuichi turned to face this person, but was disappointed when he saw a duplicate of himself. This clone was not completely identical to him for he was inverted in colour and his eyes were that of a hollow.

Ryuichi growled as he glared at his hollow counterpart. With his thumb, he flicked his sword upward partially out of its sheath.

"_Welcome home, Ryuichi_," the hollow spirit greeted with a wide grin.

Ryuichi said nothing; he continued to growl at this version of himself.

The hollow snickered. "_Speechless, eh? I can feel your hatred for me. However, that won't be enough to defeat me._"

Ryuichi drew his katana and pointed it towards his hollow counterpart. "We'll see about that! Rise above the smoking crater, Karyuu!" His sword transformed to its released state.

The hollow chuckled as he drew his sword. "_Such a naive fool. Rise above the smoking crater, Karyuu!_" His sword transformed into the same released form as Ryuichi's, except the colour was a darker shade of gold.

* * *

In the outside world, Ryuichi's body squirmed and twitched as though it were possessed.

Shinji nodded towards Lisa. Lisa nodded in return and stepped through the doorway. Keigo squeezed her hand and gave her a little kiss on the lips.

Shinji tossed a stopwatch toward Keigo, who caught it with one hand. "Hey Keigo, can you set that to 8 minutes?" He asked.

Keigo did as he was asked. "So what's happening here?" He questioned.

"Each of us, except you and Hiyori, are going to fight against Ryuichi for 8 minutes each," Shinji explained. "I want you to time us when we do."

Keigo nodded. "Gotcha!" He pressed the start button as soon as he saw the mask appear on Ryuichi's face. "Don't kill my woman," he mumbled.

* * *

Inside Ryuichi's world, Ryuichi and his hollow charged towards one another, clashing their fiery-like weapons in the centre. While Ryuichi growled continuously, his hollow spirit grinned maliciously.

While they stalled one another, Ryuichi's hollow slashed his scythe across his opponent's stomach. Ryuichi barely avoided it by flipping over and countered with a kick, but the hollow fast. He slashed the main weapon across Ryuichi's calf muscle, causing him to shriek.

The hollow laughed at his shinigami counterpart's expense. "_Didn't your father teach you not to leave any openings? You're pathetic, Ryuichi! I can only imagine what your father may say if he were here right now!_"

Ryuichi got up from the ground and stretched his palm outward. "Hadou 33 – Sokatsui!"

The hollow parried the blue fireball away with ease. "_A mid-level kidou blast?_" He taunted. He stretched out his palm and shouted, "_Hadou 66 – Soren Sokatsui!_"

Ryuichi somersaulted out of the way, dodging the explosions that occurred when the fire blasts struck the ground.

"_You really suck, Ryuichi! Soren Sokatsui!_" More blasts were shot toward the younger Kurosaki, who tried to parry them with his sword and dodge them. "_How can you protect Hinamori and Ruby with _this_?_" The hollow taunted once more. "_Face it! You're distracted – distracted by pitiful feelings and thoughts! You're too worked up...and scared! That's not what a warrior should be! Soren Sokatsui!_"

"Bakudou 34 – Enkosen!" Ryuichi shouted. A shield sprang up and deflected the blasts before it disappeared. "You're wrong!" Ryuichi counteracted. He threw his scythe towards his hollow counterpart.

The hollow threw his scythe, and both scythes collided in the centre.

"_Stop denying it!_" The hollow screamed. "_I can feel it in your zampakutou! It spells fear! Why were you unable to defend yourself from Aizen the FIRST time, huh?_"

Ryuichi thought back to that moment where he could have lost his life. He thought that it was Aizen's suffocating reiatsu that paralyzed him. Could it also have been fear as well? Renji had told him that when he shows his fear and nervousness, his opponent will take advantage of it. So maybe his hollow counterpart was right. Why did his father always win his battles? The answer was there: he wanted to protect everyone he loved, and he had no fear.

He also thought about everyone he wanted to protect – Ruby, Hinamori, Yuzu and Karin, Aiko. He also wanted to protect his parents as well, when they are in desperate situations. It meant more to him than anything, than being a shinigami, even more than his own ambitious dreams.

The hollow yanked the chain of his scythe, manipulating it to whip around Ryuichi's body, binding his arms on either side of his body. Ryuichi cursed as he struggled to break free.

"_You have to be better than that,_" The hollow said as he stepped towards Ryuichi, "_in order to defeat me. Where are your instincts, huh? Your weaknesses bore me. Time to destroy you and take your crown for myself, _king_." _When he got closer, he held out his palm towards Ryuichi's face.

Ryuichi furrowed his eyebrows. He seemed to understand now. Everything was now clear to him. Even if his feelings make him stronger, fear gets in the way. It is up to him to banish all fear if he wanted to win this battle. _For Dad...for Mom...For Aiko...For Ruby...For Aunts Karin and Yuzu...For Hinamori-san. I'll protect you all!_

At that moment, an aura of energy surrounded him and it pulsed through his veins. Ryuichi could feel this refreshed strength envelope him. Using it, he broke out of his bonds with ease. Then he glared at his hollow counterpart with a murderous glow in his eyes.

The hollow just stared in shock, frozen in place.

Ryuichi tightened his hold on his zampakutou and flew up into the air. Then, he dove towards his hollow counterpart, slicing him through the shoulder towards his opposite hip. Blood sprayed everywhere as the hollow started to disintegrate.

"_You've got guts_," The hollow said as he continued to fade away. "_Just for that, you're free to use my powers however you like. Remember what I said...your fear makes you weak. And if you weaken and are about to be killed, I WILL return! I'll take your powers before YOU KNOW IT!_" A glow shone from his chest and he was gone.

* * *

In Soul Society, Rukia was resting her head next to Ichigo's chest. Aiko was on the floor in front of her, playing with her stuffed bunnies.

Aiko never left her mother's side after she woke up, and Rukia never left Ichigo's side. When Aiko had asked about what happened to her father, Rukia told her that he was attacked. She could not, however, explain Ichigo's partially altered appearance. Rukia hated lying to her daughter, but she knew that with her age, Aiko would not understand the truth anyway. That was something that Rukia had to live with...for now.

Ichigo sighed as his eyes slowly opened. As they shifted around the room, Ichigo could only guess that he was saved, but by whom? And why? And how? For all he knew, he did not wish to be saved, not with his appearance being in its current state. He groaned softly, silently cursing whomever that saved him.

Rukia lifted her head to gaze into Ichigo's troubled eyes. "Ichigo," she whispered with a sad smile.

Rukia," Ichigo said. Then he noticed the bandaging around her shoulder. "I did that, didn't I...?

Rukia covered the exposed bandaging with one of her hands. "It's not bad," she tried to assure him.

"Did I do that or not?" Ichigo repeated. "Tell me the truth, Rukia."

Rukia frowned. As much as it pained her to tell her husband what happened, she had to tell him anyway. "Yes..." She said with her head low. Then she looked up immediately and said quickly, "but you weren't yourself! You were under Aizen's influence when it happened!"

Ichigo sighed. "I think it's time you go as far away from me as possible."

Rukia's eyes widened. "Wh-what?"

"It's better," Ichigo trailed off, heart breaking with every word he said. "Or I must go. I'm not fit to be your husband, or a captain of the 5th Division."

Rukia could not believe she was hearing. She tried desperately to keep her tears from streaming down her face as she glared at the man in front of her. "Stop. Think about what you're saying. What about our son and daughter? What about our vows we made on our wedding day? What about our subordinates that look up to you?"

"If I resign and leave, then I won't be putting anyone in danger. What captain looks like this? What husband hurts his wife? What father tries to kill his family? If I leave, then I won't be doing any of those things."

At that moment, Rukia did not care that their daughter was in the room with them. She managed to slap Ichigo across the face despite his supine position. Ichigo grunted from the impact, and Aiko looked up from her playing.

"Mommy?" Aiko asked, her head cocked to the side.

"Cover your ears, Aiko," Rukia growled, still glaring at her husband. "Your daddy needs a talking to."

Aiko understood what her mother had told her and did as she was told.

"You've got some NERVE, Ichigo!" Rukia hissed as Ichigo tried to tune her out. "WHERE is the man that I married? WHERE is the hero, the role model our kids looked up to? How DARE you give up? Do you CARE that Ryuichi and I were worried SICK about you? Do you CARE that I had been crying non-stop and could not stop blaming myself for your capture? Face it, Ichigo! DON'T give up just because you were under Aizen's influence! Grow up! You got partially changed. So what? What I need is the man that you were meant to be? You've got full control over your hollow powers, remember? REMEMBER? Ogichi is NOT coming back! No matter how much you worry, he's NOT coming back! So you're NOT a danger to us all!" Several tears slipped down her face as she tried to calm herself down. "Don't forget that I love you no matter what you do, that our kids love you no matter what, that our subordinates respect you no matter what you look like. You changed our division for the better, Ichigo, just like you changed my _life_ for the better." She lobbed as more tears streamed down her face. "Please, Ichigo..."

Ichigo's eyes softened as his wife's words echoed through his mind. He carefully shifted his body around then pulled his wife against himself, wrapping his arms around her shaking and sobbing form. Rukia continued to sob into her husband's shoulder. "I'm sorry, Rukia," Ichigo whispered into her ear – a few tears dripped from his eyes as he held her tighter. "You're right. What Aizen did to me – I had forgotten your love for me. Please don't cry anymore. I'm here now, and I'll never leave you. Thank you, Rukia."

Aiko uncovered her ears and climbed onto the bed to give her father a hug. "Welcome home, Daddy," she said softly.

Ichigo parted himself from Rukia to kiss his daughter on her head. "Thanks, sweetie. I missed you."

"I missed you, too, Daddy," Aiko said.

At that moment, Hachi knocked on the door. "Um..." He grunted.

Ichigo and his family looked up to see the large Viazard standing in the doorway.

"Hachi?" Ichigo said. "What are you doing here?"

Hachi slowly stepped in. "I came because your son sent me. He said that there was something that needed to be reversed. I hope I'm not interrupting anything, aren't I?"

Understanding what his comrade had meant, Ichigo smiled. "No, not at all," he said, "you say that Ryuichi sent you?"

Hachi nodded. "He's training with the rest of our kin as we speak."

Ichigo looked at Rukia questioningly, and Rukia nodded back. Ichigo turned back to Hachi. "Reverse the damage that Aizen has done then."

"Okay," Hachi nodded.

After Rukia led Aiko off the bed, Hachi outstretched his palms to Ichigo. A golden aura enveloped the captain, and the hollow markings, eyes, and hole disappeared from his body.

* * *

_**Next time on Inherited Nightmares...**_

"_Time for me to go in, Kensei!" Love shouted from outside the barrier._

_Kensei looked up from his fighting and nodded, using shunpo to quickly exit the barrier so that Love can step in._

_Love stared at the fully transformed hollow in front of him and readied his katana for his part of the fight. "My name is Love Aikawa. I'm your next opponent."_

* * *

And that's the end of chapter 14, folks! Sorry that it took a while, as it is quite a long chapter. Chapter 15 won't take that long, and you will see that it's the fight between the viazards and Ryuichi's full hollow form (just like it was in the anime with the Viazards versus Ichigo). You'll also see a father-son moment afterwards, and also, a romance scene? Yes, a romance scene involving Ryuichi, but which one will he be with? Hinamori or Ruby? You will find that out in the final chapter – yes, chapter 15 is the final chapter of this story unfortunately, but the epilogue ending will follow and then the sequel! Until then, guys, please review and let me know what you think!

Take care for now!


	15. Confessions

NOTE: Even though Ryuichi had defeated his hollow spirit in Chapter 14, I think it would be a good idea to show what had happened in the outside world when the Viazards were trying to keep him at bay. With this reason in mind, I had decided to slightly overlap chapter 14 and 15.

Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 15: Confessions**

For eight minutes each, Lisa, Shinji, Hiyori, Rose, and Kensei had been keeping Ryuichi at bay while the fierce, inner battle took place within his conscious. The viazards had a really hard time against the evolving hollow, and it grew stronger and cunning every time it partially transformed.

When Kensei's turn was about to end, Ryuichi's hollow form had fully evolved. In appearance, it looked like a demon from hell with its curved horns on its head and deep red body. The mask was white with fire-like patterns along the sides; these patterns continued across its shoulders, sides, and thighs. The hollow also had similar characteristics to Ichigo's hollow form when he fought against the viazards – long orange hair and a large, powerful tail. The only difference was that the hair had black highlights.

"Time for me to go in, Kensei!" Love shouted from outside the barrier.

Kensei looked up from his fighting and nodded, using shunpo to quickly exit the barrier so that Love can step in.

Love stared at the fully transformed hollow in front of him and readied his katana for his part of the fight, pointing his zampakutou towards the hollow's grotesque appearance. "My name is Love Aikawa. I'm your next opponent."

The hollow's eyes glowed with lust before it charged towards its new opponent.

"Come and get it," Love muttered as he ran towards the hollow.

The monster slashed against Love, who blocked with his sword. Then it swung its tail around, but Love thought quickly. He spun around, dodging the attack, and countered with another slash, which struck the hollow's shoulder. A small amount of blood escape from the wound, but the gash healed quickly. The hollow slashed once and Love cart wheeled backwards.

"Man, he's tough," he breathed. His eyes widened all of a sudden when he noticed the hollow preparing a cero. "Talk about déjà vu!" He held a hand in front of his face to summon his mask.

However, before the hollow could fire its cero, its body started to crack apart.

Love lowered his hand and watched with incredulous interest as the hollow screamed in agony. The light faded from its eyes as its body started to crumble to the ground, revealing a battle-scarred Ryuichi. Only his mask was on his face.

Ryuichi stood there for a moment before he fell onto his knees and collapsed onto the ground.

Shinji entered the barrier and walked towards Ryuichi. Love nodded in greeting and then walked out of the barrier.

Shinji watched for a moment as Ryuichi wearily turned onto his back. "So how are ya feelin'?" He asked.

Ryuichi brought his hand up to his mask to remove it from his face, revealing a wide grin. "Never better!" He whispered in a tired voice.

Shinji grinned in response. "Glad to hear it."

Suddenly, the barrier shattered around them. Shinji smirked at Hachi who was standing behind them with the rest of the Viazards. "Welcome back, Hachi," he greeted, "and you too, Ichigo."

Ryuichi's eyes snapped open at the name and managed to stand despite his exhaustion. "D-Dad?" He stammered.

Ichigo smiled as he walked towards his son. "You know, that brings back memories," he reminisced. "How are you feeling, Ryuichi?"

"I'm feeling great," Ryuichi replied, "exhausted but great."

"Glad to hear it."

"What about you?"

"Your mother gave me quite the talking to," Ichigo chuckled. "She really knows how to cheer someone up. By the way, thanks for sending Hachi up to Soul Society."

Ryuichi smiled. "No problem. It was Mom's idea."

Ichigo chuckled again. "Could have figured as much." Then his smile turned sad. "I'm not going to hurt her like that again."

"It's not your fault, Dad. Aizen used you for his own purposes. Now he's out of commission, thanks to Jade."

Ichigo nodded. "Yes, I've heard everything about what happened. I'm glad that you all made it out all right. I owe Grimmjow and Neliel one." He placed a hand on his son's shoulder. "And I'm especially proud of you for your growth in your abilities."

Ryuichi smiled wider. He had been wanting to hear his father say that ever since he graduated from the Academy. "Really?"

Ichigo nodded. "I know you have been anticipating that." He took his hand off of Ryuichi's shoulder. "Well let's go home, shall we?"

Ryuichi nodded. He followed his father towards the exit that would lead back to the warehouse.

"See ya later, Ichigo," Keigo called.

"Good luck, Keigo," Ichigo said. He turned towards Shinji. "Thanks for what you did for my son."

Shinji grinned. "No problem at all. He'll be just as good as you are one day."

Ichigo smirked. "Yeah, I agree. I'll continue to train him."

"Sounds good to me," Shinji said.

Hiyori scowled and looked away. "I could care less."

"Later, guys," Ichigo said with a wave. Then he and Ryuichi disappeared upstairs.

* * *

Hinamori stood in front of the Senkaimon, waiting for Ryuichi and his father to return. She needed to confess her feelings to him and see how things go from there. Maybe she was being selfish, but something told her that the young Kurosaki had felt the same. Maybe he still feels the same.

Her breath caught in her throat when she saw Ryuichi step through the doors with Ichigo. She was nervous but that was a normal thing, especially for her.

"Kurosaki-Taichou," she greeted with a bow.

"Nice to see you, Hinamori," Ichigo said with a smile.

Her angelic voice made Ryuichi's heart skip a beat. "Hey Hinamori," he greeted as a small blush tinted his cheeks.

A glow twinkled in Hinamori's eyes. "Hi Ryuichi," she said, "I...know you have just come back, but I was wondering if we could talk for a bit."

Ryuichi turned to his father. Ichigo smirked in response. "Don't need to ask me for permission, son," he said with a laugh.

Ryuichi turned back to Hinamori. "Let's go," he said with a smile.

They walked down the walkway and turned the corner, all in silence.

"We've come a long way, haven't we?" Hinamori broke the silence.

Ryuichi nodded. If there was any way to confess how he felt about the woman next to him, this would be the perfect opportunity to do so.

He stopped walking and looked into Hinamori's eyes. "Before you say anything," he said, "there's something I want to tell you as well." Hinamori waited, her breath caught in her throat.

"I think you're a wonderful woman," Ryuichi trailed off. "Beautiful, an angel even." Hinamori blushed when she heard these words. "I really enjoy our friendship," he continued, "and I'll continue to enjoy it for as long as I live. But there's something on my mind that I want to bring out into the open."

He paused when he saw Ruby in the corner of his eye, but returned to his train of thought as he kept his attention onto Hinamori. "I...I love you," he finally blurted out. Hinamori gaped and blushed in surprise. "They say love is knowing what's best for the other person," Ryuichi said, "and this...is why," he hesitated, not wanting to make her cry, "we can't be together."

Hinamori was speechless. First he said that he loved her, but now he said that they cannot be together. "Wh-why..." She tried to force out in an almost inaudible voice.

Ryuichi felt guilty, but he knew that he had to explain himself. "You need someone who can take care of you," he explained. "I can't be that person. You deserve someone who will love you forever. I'm not mature enough for you, in age and in strength. Plus, you're my father's subordinate. I am as well but it just doesn't seem right. There's someone for me out there just like I know there's someone for you. I hope you understand that I'm not trying to hurt you anything. If you're hurt –"

Hinamori cut him off, finally finding her voice. "No. You mean well, and you're right. How selfish could I be? I love as you as well, Ryuichi, but maybe it's the selfish kind of love."

Ryuichi smiled reassuringly. "I don't think you're selfish. I think you're a great person, and I hope that someone will appreciate you as well as I do."

Hinamori wiped some tears that started to spill from her eyes. "You're right. I hope that person appreciates you as well."

Ryuichi pulled her into an embrace. "Please be all right, Hinamori-san. I want you to be happy."

Hinamori returned the hug and smiled. "I will. Thank you, Ryuichi-kun."

Ryuichi separated himself from her. "Take care of yourself." Hinamori nodded. "See you around, Hinamori-san," Ryuichi said with a wave. Hinamori nodded again and walked away, not letting Ryuichi see the tears that continued to spill from her eyes.

Ryuichi felt guilty for what he had said, but he knew that he could not be the one for Hinamori. She was too special and deserved someone better than him.

He turned towards Ruby and walked towards her. Ruby smiled as she waited for Ryuichi to join her. She had a feeling what about happened with him and Hinamori, and she hoped that Ryuichi would feel all right again soon.

Ryuichi stopped in front of her and looked deep in her eyes. "Hey," he said.

"Hi," Ruby replied. "How are you?"

"Good," Ryuichi answered. "How are things with you?"

"They're well. Jade and I have settled our situations, you could say."

"Good."

They stared at each other in silence for a moment until Ruby broke it. "Did you take care of your inner hollow?"

Ryuichi nodded. "Yeah."

"That's good," she said with a smile.

"So, um...I thought about what you had said," Ryuichi said. Ruby cocked her head to the side. "About solving stuff together," Ryuichi continued. "I thought of you while I defeated my hollow, and that brought me more strength than I ever had. So, I just like to say thank you."

Ruby chuckled. "Anytime. I'm glad you won."

"And also," Ryuichi froze for a moment and brought his face closer to Ruby's face, causing her to blush deeply. "I never thought I would say this, but I think...I'm starting to fall in love with you."

The words were just what Ruby had wanted to hear. She wrapped her arms around Ryuichi's neck and pressed her lips against his. Ryuichi wrapped his arms around Ruby's waist and deepened the kiss. The girl who was once his rival pressed her body against his.

As they shared this magical and romantic embrace, their past together seemed to have disappeared. There was no such thing as rivalry to them. They were equal, man and woman, lovers.

Not too far away, Rukia and Ichigo watched their son in his first kiss and smiled proudly. Their son had finally grown up into the man he was striving to be, and this was just the beginning.

Things were finally peaceful in Seireitei, but how long will it be before chaos reigns once again? Only time will tell.

* * *

And that's the end of chapter 15! I know it's short, but it was the best that I could do and also the major stuff – Aizen and Ryuichi's hollow – were already taken care of. Coming up next is the epilogue where you will learn about the fate of Aizen and his remaining followers as well as get introduced to a new group of villains who will appear in the sequel. That will be kind of short too, but it will have quite a bunch of action to it and you will catch a glimpse of what these new villains are capable of.

For those of you who had wanted to see Hinamori and Ryuichi get together, you will still have your chance when I write the alternate ending! This was my initial idea in the first place before my friend begged me to include his characters in my story. It won't be a part of the series, however. It will just be an extra thing, a "what would happen" thing, if you know what I mean.

Also, for those of you who had been following Torn in the Darkness, a story that was put on major hiatus so that I could finish this story and get inspiration, I'm going to finally be able to finish it off. I had been collecting Naruto manga and I've finally reached the volume where Sasuke killed Orochimaru (sorry for the spoiler hehe). So that gives me ideas to finish off Torn in the Darkness, which will be taken care of after the epilogue of this story is done.

With all that said, thank you everyone for enjoying this story! Sorry it may not have been as action-packed as Incomplete Sorrows was, but Condemned Time with definitely have a bit more action to it even though it won't be as long as these stories.

Let me know what you think of this chapter!

Take care!


	16. Epilogue

Hey everyone! So here is the epilogue where you will find out not only Aizen and his followers' fate but also get introduced to the Condemned Five and their abilities. It's a pretty exciting chapter that I had been planning for about a year now, and I hope you all enjoy it.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Bleach, but I do own the characters that make up the Condemned Five and anything affiliated with them.

* * *

**Epilogue:**

In a vast area of Hueco Mundo, where Las Noches once stood, a large tear split the horizon. Out of this tear, five figures stepped through. Once the last figure stepped onto the white sand, the tear closed, putting the horizon back to its original state.

In front of them, bits of rubble rolled downwards from the gigantic pile. More movement was seen nearby and several more figures rose from the wreckage. Among them was Aizen Sousuke, the villainous lord of what was originally Las Noches. Yammy, Barragan, Ggio, and Findor were the others that stood from the detonated fortress.

"Fucking bastards," Aizen cursed under his breath. He clenched both fists in utter rage and hatred. "I will get my revenge one way or another."

Knowing what would happen if they reject their leader, the arrancar and espada said nothing. They have seen their lord this angry before, and they know that if they speak up he will destroy them.

"None of you are going to say anything?" Aizen waited, hoping that he would unleash his hatred against the first arrancar that spoke up. Sure enough, no one spoke. Aizen twisted his lips into a snarl.

"I believe we will," one of the figures that arrived in the area spoke up.

Aizen and his followers turned towards the newcomers. There were four men and one woman. The man that spoke was the largest out of all of them with a half-toga/half-centurion-like appearance. A large grin spread across his face and locks of long, black hair hung over his eyes.

"Who the hell are you?" Aizen snarled.

"We are nomads from the Dimension of Shadows," the large man answered. "We call ourselves the Condemned Five, and my name is Necrios, the leader of said group."

"What do you want?" Aizen demanded.

If it were possible to grin larger, Necrios sure managed that. "We're interested in this area and since you're all nothing but puppies that have been beaten, then," he chuckled before he could say anymore.

The woman beside him licked her lips. "He looks handsome enough for a meal," she whispered.

Another man beside her rolled his eyes. "He's Necrios's, Lilicia. Choose someone else for your disgusting killing technique."

Lilicia wrinkled her nose in disgust. "Like hell am I going to choose the rest of these individuals."

"Quit complaining then, bitch," the man insulted. Lilicia just narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips.

Aizen drew his zampakutou. "If that's the case," he said, "bring it on!" He charged towards the newcomers.

Necrios refused to move. Instead, he held out his hand with the fingers spread and palm facing outwards. Dark threads burst out of his wrist and wrapped around Aizen, holding him in place.

"What the hell is this?" Aizen shrieked as he tried to fight off his bonds.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Necrios warned. "Struggling makes my tendrils absorb your life force faster."

"WHAT?" Aizen screamed as the tendrils binding him started to flash repeatedly.

Findor and Ggio gaped in horror as their lord was being sucked of his life force. Drawing their zampakutou, they charged towards Necrios to force him to free Aizen.

The man who had insulted Lilicia before split himself into two clones. "My name is Ashanan," the clones spoke in unison, "Master of Illusion. Allow me to escort you to your deaths."

The clones clapped their hands once simultaneously, causing a thunderous echo. Ggio and Findor keeled over from the noise, dropping their swords so that they could cover their ears.

Ashanan's clones laughed as their right hands turned into vicious blades. They extended their arms and, taking advantage of major openings the arrancar had, pierced right through their necks, killing them instantly.

"That's how a real fighter wins his battles, Lilicia," Ashanan taunted as his clones became one being again.

Lilicia rolled her eyes. "When will you just shut up, Ashanan?"

"When you finally realize that I'm better than you in every way," Ashanan answered.

"Fucking prick," Lilicia cursed. She held out her left arm, which glowed a bright green.

"What are you gonna do? Summon that pathetic snake of yours?" Ashanan raised an eyebrow. "I can't believe you're even close to that dumb creature."

Lilicia ignored her ally's insults as a large, poisonous snake slithered off of her arm and onto the ground. She pointed towards Yammy who was prepared to fight. "Go get him, my darling Satunus," she directed with a soft purr.

The snake understood her command and swiftly slithered towards Yammy.

"I'll slice that snake into pieces!" Yammy shouted with a booming voice.

Lilicia curled her lips into an evil smirk as her snake opened its mouth and struck Yammy's throat at lightning speed. "Satanus is bound to me," she explained as the snake slithered away from the now deceased espada. "He hears my thoughts and in turn my thoughts make him the powerful snake he is right now. His skin is far too thick to be sliced by any weapon." The snake crawled up onto her arm and across her shoulders, and it blended into her body, forming the realistic tattoo it always was.

"That was so hot," another large man complimented.

Lilicia frowned as she eyed him over her shoulder. "Don't get any ideas, Neron."

The man called Neron smirked in response. Then he averted his eyes towards Barragan. "Guess the old guy is mine."

"Go after him then," the fourth man said quietly, pushing his glasses up his nose.

"You're too kind, Kraton," Neron said as he summoned an enormous mace from his back. "Though you're still a nerd!" He ran towards Barragan.

"Whatever," Kraton trailed off.

Barragan drew his axe-like zampakutou. "Whatever you throw at me, I'll rot it! Rot, Arrogante!" Jet-black/purple flames burst from a slit-eye pendant between the axe blades of his zampakutou. The flames burned away all of his flesh, causing him to resemble a skeleton dressed in purple and black robes. The pendant from his zampakutou appeared on his chest, and his crown-like mask transformed into an actual gold crown.

"Put this on for size!" Barragan bellowed. "Respira!" A smoke-like, black/purple miasma spread around him, rotting away everything in its path.

Neron laughed maniacally as the miasma had no effect on him.

"IMPOSSIBLE!" Barragan screamed in shock.

"Very impressive technique, old man," Neron complimented as he prepared to swing his monstrous mace. "But it does not affect me."

"What the fuck are you?" Barragan inquired frustratingly.

"Like my nerdy brother and the rest of our team mates, I am a demon from the Dimension of Shadows," Neron answered. "In our world and anywhere else, we're ageless immortals who were born to kill and slaughter. I could guess that your cloud thing affects age. Too bad it doesn't work on us! Now die, you mother fucker!" He swung his mace, shattering through Barragan's massive skull. The rest of his body collapsed onto the remaining rubble.

Several feet away, Aizen's corpse lay at Necrios's feet and the demon laughed as he examined the power that he had just absorbed. "So many new memories! So much power! So much knowledge!" He exclaimed in triumph. "This is truly amazing! And this shinigami! Hahahaha! What a worthy victim!"

"So what happens now, boss?" Ashanan asked. "Do we go kill this shinigami you speak of?"

"Not yet," Necrios replied. "First we re-build this Las Noches." He waved a hand past the pile of rubble. "And we turn it into our new base of operations."

"Heh, sounds like something for Kraton," Ashanan teased. Kraton just grunted as he pushed his glasses up his nose.

"I want all of us to do this together so that we can settle in and plan our next course of action," Necrios said.

His team mates shouted affirmatively and started their work, looking forward to their next massive slaughter.

* * *

And that's that of Inherited Nightmares! I want to thank all of you once again for enjoying this story and putting up with my delayed updates. I hope it was worth it for you guys. So thanks again! :D

Here is a list of several stories that you could look forward to, including the sequel:

_Inherited Nightmares: Alternative Ending_ – What if Ryuichi chose Hinamori instead of Ruby? Alternative ending to my fanfiction, Inherited Nightmares.

_Happy Reunion_ – After defeating Tsukishima and Ginjou, Ichigo and Rukia celebrate their reunion. Spoilers for chapter 460 of the manga. One-shot lemon, IchiRuki.

_Torn in the Darkness (chapters 4 and 5) _– Bleach/Naruto crossover. While on a mission, Ichigo is given a curse mark by Orochimaru, the shinobi he was told to kill. To make matters worse, his hollow wants to take over once again! What will he do?

_Condemned Time_ – Sequel to Inherited Nightmares. A new threat has invaded Soul Society, forcing Aiko Kurosaki and her best friend Liliana Kisuke to go back in time to warn their families and friends of the horrible massacre that's to come. However, what will they do when this new threat follows them? MANY character deaths in chapter 1!

I'm looking forward to those stories, and I hope you will as well. However, due to school, I won't be able to have much time in writing them, but I'll do my very best to update as much as I can.

Once again, thank you all for your positive reviews and please review on this final chapter! Take care!


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